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Fallugia paradoxa
Grows in clumps. A slender, upright, deciduous to semi-evergreen, multi-branched small shrub, 2-6 ft. tall, with grayish-white, pubescent branches. White flowers (resembling apple flowers) and silvery-pinkish puffs of fruit heads borne at the tips of twiggy, slender branches. Small leaves, dark green upper surface and silver under surface. Bloom time: May-Dec. Flowers are easy to identify, being typical of those in the Rosaceae family. Like winterfat, the main dispersal agent of seed is wind. The flowering stage is the most conspicuous, but the fruiting stage with the lovely pink to lavender-silver hairs are the most unique.
This specimen found in dry arroyo in southern Big Bend area of Texas. Reported range Southwest US. Prefers dry, gravelly, sandy soils. Grows in limestone-based, sandy loam, clay, and caliche type soils. Cold, drought and heat tolerant.
According to entry in Wikipedia, this shrub is the only species in the genus Fallugia. It is also favored as wildlife forage. A bit of trivia: the genus name is attributed to an Italian abbot. I began my (un)official botanical collection and documentation of my home area in the northern Chihuahan desert (Big Bend area in southwest Texas) that weekend. This is one of a few plants collected and photographed in a large dry arroyo. As a biologist I am interested in and concerned about the changes in the biota of this area due to climatic changes, as well as how certain areas recover after large devastating wildfires coupled with the record droughts. I don't know if a baseline survey has been done of this area in past years, so I am beginning an unofficial survey this year.
Spotted on Nov 25, 2011
Submitted on Dec 3, 2011
1 Comment
That is just plain neato.