Texas Four O'Clock (Mirabilis texensis)
Description
Stems erect or ascending, few, sparsely leafy mostly in proximal 1/2, well branched, 5-10 dm, glabrate to sparsely spreading viscid-pubescent throughout, more densely so distally. Leaves ascending to spreading at 45-80-, abruptly reduced in inflorescence; petiole 0.3-4 cm; blade green, triangular-ovate to ovate, 2-7 - 2-7 cm, thick and moderately fleshy, base round to cordate, apex acute to rounded, surfaces glabrate to glandular. Inflorescences terminal and in distal axils, few branched, - evenly forked, open; peduncle 2-6 mm, spreading viscid-pubescent, crosswalls of hairs pale or dark; involucres pale green, widely bell-shaped to almost rotate, 3-4 mm in flower, 6-13 mm in fruit, sparsely spreading viscid-pubescent, 90-100% connate, lobes round to very broadly obtuse. Flowers 2-3 per involucre; perianth pale pink to pink, 0.8-1 cm. Fruits reddish brown to brown, obovoid, 3-4 mm, densely glandular-puberulent with hairs 0.1 mm; ribs low and round, as wide as sulci, 0.5 times as wide as high, covered with tall, shelflike tubercles; sulci with prominent shelflike tubercles.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Nyctaginaceae
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Genus: Mirabilis
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