BERBERIDACEAE -- Barberry Family - New Mexico Flores

Scientific Name: 

Berberis haematocarpa 

Size: 

1 – 4 m 

BERBERIDACEAE -- Barberry Family 

Description: 

Erect shrub with rigid, spineless branches, often 

found in groups. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate 

with 3 – 9 (commonly 5) lanceolate to ovate 

leaflets with 5 – 10 triangular, spine-tipped 

lobes or teeth. Terminal leaflet 1.5 – 3.8 cm 

long, 5 – 10 mm wide, 2 – 5 times as long as 

wide, stalked. Flowers perfect, in loose clusters 

of 3 – 7 at branch tips. Sepals 6, distinct, 

yellow, in 2 series. Petals 6, rounded, erect. 

Stamens 6. Pistil 1. Fruit of round, solid, juicy, 

purplish red berries 5 – 8 mm in diameter. 

131 

Common Name: 

Red barberry, algerita 

Color: 

Yellow flowers, red-purple berries 

Notes: 

The bright yellow flowers of barberry bushes 

resemble miniature daffodils. The dull, stiff, 

spiny leaves make barberry easy to recognize. 

The species name haematocarpa comes from 

the Greek haema, “blood”, and carpos, “fruit”, 

in reference to the juicy, red berries. Red 

barberry is an alternate host to the parasitic 

wheat rust Puccinia graminis. Barberry blooms 

from April into June between 3000 and 7000 ft. 

New Mexico Native


Berberis repens 

Size: 

10 - 20 cm 

BERBERIDACEAE -- Barberry Family 

Description: 

Synonym: Mahonia repens. 

Perennial with woody, trailing to ascending 

stems without spines. Leaves alternate, oddpinnate 

with 3 - 7 ovate to elliptic leaflets 1 - 7 

cm long, 1 - 5 cm wide, edges with 12 - 40 

spine-tipped teeth; upper leaf surface bluish to 

dull green, gray-green below. Flowers perfect, 

on short stalks in dense, many-flowered 

clusters. Sepals 6, yellow, the outer three 2 - 3 

mm long, the inner three 5 - 8 mm long. Petals 

6, yellow, in 2 series. Stamens 6. Fruit a waxy 

blue berry. 

132 

Common Name: 

Creeping Mahonia, Oregon grape 

Color: 

Yellow flowers, blue berries 

Notes: 

Thomas Nuttall named this plant for his friend 

and colleague Bernard MacMahon (1755-1816), 

an Irish immigrant who operated a plant nursery 

in Philadelphia and helped introduce decorative 

gardening to the United States. Creeping 

mahonia leaves are not deciduous. The plants 

are very colorful in the fall when the leaves turn 

purplish or red and the berries turn very blue. 

Creeping mahonia blooms from April into June 

between 6500 and 10000 ft. 



Cryptantha cinerea 

Size: 

10 - 20 cm 

BORAGINACEAE -- Borage Family 

Description: 

Synonym: Cryptantha jamesii. 

Perennial herb, stems solitary or in groups from 

a woody base, with stiff hairs lying flat and 

usually some erect hairs. Leaves oblanceolate 

to narrowly lanceolate with stiff hairs lying flat 

or sometimes almost glabrous. Flowers in a 

loose cluster near the top of the stem. Calyx 

with 5 ovate-lanceolate lobes divided halfway 

or more to the base, coarsely hairy, 5 - 7 mm 

long in fruit. Corolla trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed, 

limb 4 - 8 mm wide, tube about equal to calyx, 

the throat narrowed by yellow scales. Fruit 1 - 4 

nutlets 1.8 - 2.5 mm long, smooth and shiny. 

133 

Common Name: 

Bow-nut cryptantha 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

Member of the genus Cryptantha are often 

referred to by the common name, hiddenflower. 

This term comes from the Greek cryptos, 

“hidden”, and anthos, “flower”, used to name 

the original South American species with very 

small self-pollinating flowers. This Cryptantha 

was discovered by Dr. Edwin James (1797 - 

1861) on an 1820 expedition through 

southeastern Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and 

northeastern New Mexico. Bow-nut cryptantha 

blooms from May to August between 5000 and 

8000 ft. 



Cryptantha crassisepala var. elechantha 

Size: 

5 - 15 cm 


Description: 

Annual herb, stems erect to spreading, with 

coarse, stiff hairs. Leaves alternate, narrowly 

oblanceolate, 2 - 3 cm long, with coarse, stiff 

hairs having inflated blister-like bases. Flowers 

nearly sessile in solitary elongate clusters at 

stem ends. Calyx 5-lobed, divided at least 

halfway to the base, segments narrowly 

lanceolate, with coarse, stiff hairs, midribs 

thickening and hardening at maturity. Corolla 

tubular, trumpet-shaped, less than 3 mm long, 

limb less than 3.5 mm in diameter, the throat 

constricted by scales. Fruit of 4 nutlets, unlike, 

one larger (2 - 3 mm) than the others. 

134 

Common Name: 

Hiddenflower, Thicksepal cryptantha 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

The genus name Cryptantha, “hidden flower” is 

truly applicable to this plant. Its flowers are 

quite reduced, hardly protruding from the 

subtending calyx. The plant is small in stature 

and densely hairy. Its dissimilar nutlets are 

typical in members of Cryptantha, which often 

abort some nutlets or enhance one. Nutlet size, 

shape, and surface characteristics are important 

in species differentiation. Thicksepal 

cryptantha blooms from late April through June 




Cryptantha paysonii 

Size: 

10 - 30 cm 


Description: 

Perennial herb, stems erect, unbranched, with 

stiff hairs lying flat and some erect. Leaves 

mostly basal(alternate above), oblanceolate, 

with stiff hairs lying flat. Flowers in a head-like 

cluster with stalks 1 - 3 cm long. Calyx 5-lobed, 

8 - 10 mm long, divided at least to the middle, 

segments linear-lanceolate, with dense bristles. 

Corolla tubular, trumpet-shaped, 7 - 14 mm in 

diameter. Corolla exceeds calyx by at least 2 

mm, the throat constricted by bright yellow 

scales, but with the interior of the tube base 

without crests. Fruit of usually 4 nutlets 2.5 - 3 

mm long, finely wrinkled on both surfaces. 

135 

Common Name: 

Payson’s cryptantha 

Color: 

White and yellow 

Notes: 

Payson’s cryptantha is extremely showy. Its 

flowers are large for Cryptantha and the bright 

yellow throat scales are very striking. The 

flowers also have a very noticeable fragrance. 

The plant is named for Edwin Blake Payson 

(1893-1927), a protégé of Aven Nelson at the 

University of Wyoming. It blooms from late 

April through June between 4000 and 7500 ft. 



Hackelia floribunda 

Size: 

50 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Erect biennial or short-lived perennial, stems 

few, stout. Herbage with coarse hairs spreading 

or lying flat. Basal leaves with petioles, 

oblanceolate, early deciduous. Stem leaves 

alternate, 4 - 20 cm long, 5 - 30 mm wide; the 

lower ones with petioles, oblanceolate; the 

upper sessile, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 

reduced above. Flowers perfect, individually on 

short stalks, in long-stalked leafless clusters 

from leaf axils. Calyx cleft nearly to the base 

into 5 lobes. Corolla trumpet-shaped, the mouth 

4 - 7 mm wide with 5 rounded lobes bent flat. 

Stamens 5, not protruding. Fruit of 4 pricklymargined 

nutlets on down-curving stalks. 

136 

Common Name: 

Stickseed, beggarlice 

Color: 

White to blue 

Notes: 

The genus Hackelia is named for the Czech 

botanist Joseph Hackel (1783-1869). The 

species name floribunda is Latin for “profusely 

flowering”, and this stickseed has numerous 

several-flowered clusters of either white or blue 

flowers often with a yellow eye. The seeds 

resemble those of another stickseed genus, 

Lappula (see Lappula redowskii), but in 

Lappula the fruit is carried on an erect stalk and 

each flower is subtended by a leaf-like bract. 

Hackelia floribunda blooms from mid-June to 

mid-August between 7000 and 10000 ft. 



Lappula redowskii 

Size: 

5 - 40 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Lappula occidentalis 

Erect annual herb, stems branched above. 

Herbage with short, stiff hairs lying flat and 

spreading. Leaves alternate, oblanceolate to 

linear or linear-oblong, 1 - 4 cm long, 5 - 10 mm 

wide, sessile, becoming lanceolate bracts above. 

Flowers perfect, on stalks 1 - 2 mm long, from 

axils of bracts, forming long interrupted 

clusters. Calyx cleft nearly to base, with 5 erect 

lanceolate segments. Corolla 3 - 4 mm long, 1.5 

- 2.5 mm wide, tubular, 5-lobed, the throat 

closed by 5 appendages. Stamens 5, not 

protruding. Fruit of 4 nutlets carried on an erect 

stalk, each with a single row of marginal 

prickles. 

137 

Common Name: 

Stickseed 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

The genus name Lappula comes form the Latin 

lappa, “bur” and the diminutive ending -ula, in 

reference to the prickly-edged nutlets. Plants of 

this genus distinctly resemble another stickseed 

genus Hackelia (see Hackelia floribunda), but 

in Hackelia the fruiting stalks bend downward 

and the individual flowers are not subtended by 

a bract. Stickseed blooms from mid-April 

through August between 4500 and 9000 ft. 



Lithospermum incisum 

Size: 

25 - 60 cm 


Description: 

Erect or ascending perennial herb, stems usually 

several. Herbage with stiff hairs lying flat. 

Basal leaves deciduous before flowering. Stem 

leaves alternate, sessile, linear to linear-oblong, 

2 - 6 cm long, 2 - 7 mm wide. Flowers perfect, 

on short stalks, in leafy clusters at stem end. 

Calyx 6 - 10 mm long, deeply cleft into 5 

narrow lobes. Corolla showy, trumpet-shaped, 

the tube 15 - 35 mm long with 5 small 

appendages in the throat, the mouth with 5 

crinkly, rough-edged, spreading lobes. Stamens 

5, short. Style 1, long. Late season flowers 

lower, corollas small or absent, never opening, 

self-pollinating. Fruit of 4 hard nutlets. 

138 

Common Name: 

Cutflower puccoon 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

The genus name Lithospermum comes from the 

Greek lithos, “stone” and sperma, “seed”. The 

seeds of the plant are hard, smooth, and bony. 

The common name puccoon comes from an 

Algonquin word for plants which yield red dye 

from the roots, a characteristic of some 

members of the genus Lithospermum (see 

Lithospermum multiflorum). The showy yellow 

flowers of cutflower puccoon actually produce 

few seeds. Later in the season, very small 

flowers form lower on the plant which never 

really open and are self-fertilizing. These 

obscure flowers actually produce most seed. 

Puccoon blooms from April to June between 

4000 and 8000 ft. 



Lithospermum multiflorum 

Size: 

25 - 60 cm 


Description: 

Erect perennial herb, stems several, clumped, 

with spreading hairs and stiff hairs lying flat. 

Leaves alternate, none basal, lowest scale-like, 

those above linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2 - 6 

cm long, 2 - 15 mm wide, sessile, with stiff 

hairs lying flat above, more spreading below. 

Flowers perfect, on short stalks, clustered at 

stem end, sometimes drooping. Calyx 4 - 6 mm 

long, deeply cleft into 5 narrow, hairy segments. 

Corolla tubular funnel-shaped, 9 - 15 mm long, 

flared at the end, with 5 rounded, smooth-edged 

lobes. Stamens 5, short. Style 1, sometimes 

long, sometimes short. Fruit of 4 pale, shiny 

hard nutlets. 

139 

Common Name: 

Wayside gromwell, puccoon 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

The tiny scale-like lower leaves and the roots of 

this plant contain a reddish-purple dye, which 

gives rise to the common name puccoon (see 

Lithospermum incisum). The term gromwell is 

of English origin and is a generic term for 

members of the genus Lithospermum. The 

flowers of wayside gromwell are of two types, 

one with stamens mounted low in the floral tube 

and a style greatly exceeding the stamens, the 

other with stamens mounted high in the floral 

tube and a short style well below the stamens. 

This guarantees cross-pollination. Wayside 

gromwell blooms from June into August 




Macromeria viridiflora var. thurberi 

Size: 

50 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Erect perennial herb, stems sparingly branched, 

with bristly hairs. Leaves alternate, sessile, 

smooth-edged, strongly veined, lanceolate, 5 - 

11 cm long, 1 - 4 cm wide, at least upper surface 

with bristly, broad-based hairs up to 1 mm long, 

leaves reduced above. Flowers perfect, on short 

stalks, in coiled clusters at stem ends. Calyx 8 - 

18 mm long, deeply incised into 5 linear lobes, 

hairy. Corolla tubular funnel-shaped, 4 - 6 cm 

long, bristly-hairy on the outside, with 5 

spreading, pointed lobes. Stamens 5, 1 - 2 cm 

long, slightly protruding, anthers 3 - 4 mm long. 

Style 1, protruding, greatly protruding from 

young fruit. Fruit of 4 nutlets, ovoid, smooth 

and shiny. 

140 

Common Name: 

Large-flowered gromwell 

Color: 

Greenish-yellow 

Notes: 

The genus name Macromeria comes from the 

Greek macros, “large” and meris, “part”. 

Compared to most members of the Borage 

family, the parts of this plant are indeed large: 

long stems, large leaves, and particularly huge 

flowers. The genus Macromeria contains 11 

species, all from Mexico and Guatemala except 

the two varieties of the species viridiflora 

(meaning green-flowered) which occur in New 

Mexico and Arizona. Large-flowered gromwell 

blooms from early July through August between 

6500 and 9000 ft. 



Mertensia franciscana 

Size: 

30 - 50 cm 


Description: 

Erect or ascending perennial herb, stems 1 to 

several, glabrous or with hairs lying flat. 

Leaves alternate, smooth-edged, strongly 

veined, upper surface with stiff hairs lying flat, 

lower glabrous or with more spreading hairs; 

basal and lower stem leaves on long petioles, 

elliptic to ovate or lanceolate, 5 - 10 cm long, 2 

- 5 cm wide, early deciduous; stem leaves 

similar, with short petioles or sessile. Flowers 

pendant, perfect, on stalks, in branched clusters 

near branch ends. Calyx 2.5 - 5 mm long, with 

5 lanceolate lobes cleft nearly to base, hairy on 

the back. Corolla funnel-shaped, flared, 5lobed, 

10 - 15 mm long, with 5 scale-like crests 

in the throat. Stamens 5. Style 1. 

141 

Common Name: 

Franciscan bluebells 

Color: 

Light blue to pink 

Notes: 

Franciscan bluebells were first collected by 

Daniel Trembly MacDougal (see Verbena 

macdougalii) from the San Francisco mountains 

north of Flagstaff, Arizona, giving rise to the 

species and common names. MacDougal was 

instrumental in establishing the Desert Botanical 

Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution in Tucson 

in 1903 (now a part of the University of 

Arizona) which pioneered research in desert 

ecology. Franciscan bluebells are tall, robust 

plants which can form impressive stands. They 

bloom from mid-May into July between 7000 

and 9000 ft. 



Mertensia lanceolata var. lanceolata 

Size: 

20 - 40 cm 


Description: 

Ascending to erect perennial herb, stems 1 to 

several, glabrous or with fine whitish hairs. 

Basal leaves with petioles, narrowly ovate to 

elliptic or lanceolate, 2 - 14 cm long, 5 - 35 mm 

wide; upper surface with short hairs lying flat or 

glabrous, glabrous below, margins smooth. 

Stem leaves lanceolate, sessile, somewhat 

reduced above without lateral veins, edges 

somewhat hairy. Flowers perfect, pendant, on 

stalks in loose clusters near stem ends. Calyx 2 

- 5 mm long, with 5 lanceolate lobes, incised 

half to two-thirds of the way to the base. 

Corolla tube 3 - 7 mm long, flared, 5-lobed, 

with 5 scale-like crests in the throat, hairy 

within. Stamens 5. 

142 

Common Name: 

Rocky Mountain bluebells 

Color: 

Light blue 

Notes: 

The genus Mertensia is named for Francis Carl 

Mertens (1764 - 1831), a botanist from Bremen, 

Germany and colleague and friend of the great 

British botanist William Jackson Hooker. 

Common in the Manzanos, Rocky Mountain 

bluebells are among the first flowers to bloom 

in the spring, sometimes as early as the last 

week of March. They bloom from April into 

June between 6500 and 9000 ft. 



Alyssum minus 

Size: 

10 - 25 cm 

BRASSICACEAE -- Mustard Family 

Description: 

Annual herb, stems curving upward from the 

base or erect. Herbage densely covered with 

star-shaped hairs. Leaves alternate, spatulate to 

oblanceolate, 5 - 20 mm long, 2 - 7 mm wide, 

with smooth edges, tapering to the base. 

Flowers perfect, on stalks 3 - 5 mm long, in a 

dense cluster at stem end (sometimes in leaf 

axils), the stalks elongating in fruit. Sepals 4, 

about 2 mm long. Petals 4, 3 - 4 mm long, 

notched at the apex. Stamens 6, 4 of equal 

length, 2 shorter. Style 1, stigma headlike. 

Fruit a thin lens-shaped pod, divided into 2 

compartments by a thin membrane, the pod 

notched at the apex and bearing a persistent 

style. 

143 

Common Name: 

Small alyssum, field alyssum 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

The genus name Alyssum translates from Greek 

as “without madness”. The plants were thought 

to cure rabies. Alyssum is indigenous to 

Eurasia. Several species have been naturalized 

in the United States, some as garden 

ornamentals, others as weeds. Alyssum minus 

was first reported in New Mexico in 1986. It 

has spread considerably and is now becoming 

common in the Manzanos. It blooms from April 

into July between 5000 and 7500 ft. 

Introduced*


Arabis fendleri 

Size: 

25 - 60 cm 


Description: 

Erect perennial herb, stems 1 to several, hairy at 

the base, glabrous above. Basal leaves with 

petioles, oblanceolate, 2 - 6 cm long, 1 - 10 mm 

wide, surfaces with simple or forked hairs or 

glabrous, edges smooth to toothed, with hairs. 

Stem leaves oblong to lanceolate, sessile, bases 

clasping the stem, 1 - 4 cm long, 2 - 8 mm wide, 

with smooth edges. Flowers perfect, on 

glabrous stalks, in a loose cluster at stem end. 

Petals 4, spatulate, 5 - 8 mm long, 2 - 3 mm 

wide. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a 

slender glabrous pod, 3 - 6 cm long, 1 - 3 mm 

wide, hanging down, divided into 2 

compartments by a thin membrane. 

144 

Common Name: 

Fendler’s rockcress 

Color: 

Lavender to pink or white 

Notes: 

The word “cress” is commonly applied to 

members of the mustard family. Rockcress is a 

mustard that prefers habitat with areas of rocks 

interspersed with soil. Fendler’s rockcress is an 

early bloomer, flowering from April into June 




Camelina microcarpa 

Size: 

30 - 80 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems branched above. 

Herbage rough-hairy, with simple and branched 

or star-shaped hairs. Leaves alternate, 

triangular-lanceolate, sessile, with smooth 

edges, the leaf bases wrapped around stem. 

Flowers perfect, on glabrous upward curving 

stalks 8 - 18 mm long, in loose clusters at 

branch ends, greatly elongating in fruit. Sepals 

4, erect, hairy, deciduous, 2 - 3 mm long. Petals 

4, spatulate, 3 - 4 mm long, rounded at the apex. 

Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a glabrous 

obovoid pod 5 - 7 mm long, 3 - 4 mm in 

diameter, divided into 2 compartments by a 

membrane. Style persistent, about half as long 

as pod. 

145 

Common Name: 

Smallseed falseflax 

Color: 

White to yellow 

Notes: 

With its narrow, alternate leaves and stalked 

fruits scattered along the upper stems, falseflax 

resembles true flax, Linum usitatissimum. Both 

are native to Eurasia, imported to the United 

States by European colonists. The genus name 

Camelina is derived from two Greek roots, 

chamae, “lowly” or “creeping” and linon, 

“flax”, in reference to the common presence of 

Camelina in cultivated flax fields. C. 

microcarpa blooms from May through June 


Introduced*


Capsella bursa-pastoris 

Size: 

10 - 40 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems sparsely branched. 

Herbage with branched or star-shaped hairs. 

Basal leaves 3 - 10 cm long, 1 - 3 cm wide, 

oblanceolate, incised or toothed. Stem leaves 

much smaller, alternate, lanceolate, sessile, leaf 

base wrapped around stem. Flowers perfect, on 

stalks, in loose clusters at stem ends, elongating 

in fruit. Sepals 4, 1 - 3 mm long, with short, 

soft hairs or glabrous. Petals 4, 2 - 4 mm long, 

rounded at the apex. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 

shorter. Fruit a glabrous heart-shaped pod, 6 - 8 

mm long, divided into 2 compartments by a 

membrane, with a short, persistent style in the 

notch at the apex. 

146 

Common Name: 

Shepherd’s purse 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

The genus name Capsella means “little box”. 

The species name bursa-pastoris comes from 

the Latin bursa, meaning “purse”, and pastoris, 

“of a shepherd”. Both genus and species names 

characterize the seed pod. It has been reported 

the somewhat sticky seeds trap minute insects 

attempting to feed on them. The plant then 

assimilates the insects for extra nitrogen. 

Shepherd’s purse blooms from April through 

September between 4000 and 9000 ft. 

Introduced*


Cardaria draba 

Size: 

20 - 60 cm 


Description: 

Erect to reclining perennial herb, stems several 

from spreading rootstock, branched near the top, 

with short hairs. Leaves alternate, oblong to 

elliptic or lanceolate, 3 - 8 cm long, 1 - 4 cm 

wide, lowest leaves with petioles, upper leaves 

sessile with leaf bases wrapped around stem, 

edges wavy-toothed to smooth, with short hairs. 

Flowers perfect, on ascending stalks about 10 

mm long, in dense clusters at branch ends. 

Sepals 4, elliptical, 1 - 2 mm long. Petals 4, 

spatulate, 3 - 4 mm long, round at apex. 

Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a glabrous 

2-chambered pod, obovate to heart-shaped in 

outline, inflated but somewhat flattened. 

147 

Common Name: 

Hoary cress, whitetop 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

Hoary cress is considered to be a noxious weed 

in most Western states. Once established, the 

strong, horizontal rootstock of these plants 

makes them very difficult to eradicate and very 

efficient in competition with native species. 

Considerable money and effort have been 

expended in a mostly unsuccessful effort at 

controlling these plants. Hoary cress blooms 

from May into August between 4000 and 8000 

ft. 

Introduced*


Chorispora tenella 

Size: 

10 - 50 cm 


Description: 

Mostly erect annual herb, stems branched, leafy. 

Herbage with gland-tipped hairs. Leaves 

alternate, with petioles. Lower leaves jaggedly 

pinnatifid. Upper leaves oblong to lanceolate, 

with petioles, edges wavy-toothed. Flowers 

perfect, on upward turning stalks 2 - 6 mm long, 

in loose clusters. Sepals 4, erect, 4 - 6 mm long. 

Petals 4, 7 - 12 mm long, blades narrow with a 

long tapering base, round at apex. Stamens 6, 4 

equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a long, tapered, narrow 

pod, 2 - 4 cm long, often curved, constricted 

between the seeds, ending in a slender, seedless 

beak, 8 - 22 mm long. 

148 

Common Name: 

Blue mustard 

Color: 

Rose purple 

Notes: 

The genus name Chorispora comes from the 

Greek chori, “separated”, and spora, “seed”. 

The lumpy seed pod has partitions between 1 - 2 

seeded segments. At maturity, it breaks into a 

number of “minipods”. Most plants in the 

mustard family have pods which simply split in 

half lengthwise. Blue mustard has a musky 

odor noticeable in large patches of the plant. 

When eaten by dairy animals, it can taint the 

milk. It blooms from March into May between 

3500 and 7500 ft. 

Introduced*


Conringia orientalis 

Size: 

20 - 60 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual or winter annual herb, stems 

mostly solitary, glabrous, with a waxy whitish 

coating. Basal leaves smooth-edged, tapered to 

the base. Stem leaves alternate, smooth-edged, 

elliptic, oval or oblong, sessile, leaf bases 

wrapping the stem, glabrous. Flowers perfect, 

on upward curving stalks 5 - 15 mm long, in a 

loose cluster at stem end. Sepals 4, erect, 4 - 6 

mm long, glabrous, often reddish tinged. Petals 

4, narrowly obovate, 10 - 12 mm long, with a 

long, tapered, narrow base. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 

2 shorter. Fruit a long, narrow, 4-angled pod, 8- 

12 cm long, 2 - 3 mm in diameter, pointing 

upward. 

149 

Common Name: 

Hare’s-ear mustard 

Color: 

White to creamy white 

Notes: 

Hare’s-ear mustard has been naturalized from 

Eurasia. Wooten and Standley in their 1915 

Flora of New Mexico show it localized near Des 

Moines, NM. Martin and Hutchins in their 

1980 A Flora of New Mexico show it in both 

Colfax and Union counties. By the mid-1990’s 

it appeared in the Manzanos. When mature, its 

pods are the longest of all the mustards in the 

Manzanos. Hare’s-ear mustard blooms from 

April into June between 4500 and 7500 ft. 

Introduced*


Descurainia incisa ssp. incisa 

Size: 

30 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Descurainia richardsonii. 

Erect annual or biennial herb, stems much 

branched above with short, branched hairs, 

mixed with simple hairs and gland-tipped hairs, 

or almost glabrous. Leaves alternate, pinnate 

with 2 - 4 pairs of deeply and irregularly incised 

or toothed leaflets. Flowers perfect, stalked, in 

small, loose clusters at branch ends, elongating 

in fruit. Sepals 4, ovate, yellowish, 1 - 2 mm 

long. Petals 4, obovate, 1.5 - 3 mm long, with a 

narrow, tapered base. Stamens 6, yellow, 4 

equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a linear pod, 7 - 15 mm 

long, 1 mm wide, with 2 compartments with one 

row of seeds in each. 

150 

Common Name: 

Richardson or mountain tansy mustard 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

The genus Descurainia is named for Francois 

Descurain (1658 – 1740), an early French 

pharmacist and naturalist. There are 6 different 

species and a total of 13 subspecies of 

Descurainia in New Mexico. There are 3 

species in the Manzanos. Richardson tansy 

mustard blooms from May through August 




Descurainia obtusa 

Size: 

50 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems branched. Herbage 

whitish with star-shaped hairs. Leaves 

alternate, irregularly twice-pinnatifid, the 

segments rounded, not forming an acute angle at 

the apex. Flowers perfect, on spreading stalks, 

in clusters at branch ends, elongating in fruit. 

Sepals 4, erect. Petals 4, 2 - 3 mm long, barely 

longer than sepals. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 

shorter. Fruit a linear pod 12 - 20 mm long, 

sparsely hairy or almost glabrous, divided into 

two compartments by a thin membrane, with 2 

rows of seeds in each cell. 

151 

Common Name: 

Tansy mustard 

Color: 

Light yellow 

Notes: 

Plants of the genus Descurainia have deeply 

incised leaves. In D. obtusa the resulting 

segments are not pointed, the apex forming an 

obtuse angle, hence the species name obtusa. 

This species has 2 rows of seeds in each 

compartment of its pod. It blooms from May 




Descurainia sophia 

Size: 

30 - 80 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems usually branched 

above, with soft branched or star-shaped hairs 

and often with simple hairs. Leaves alternate, 

ovate or obovate in outline, 1 - 10 cm long; 

lower leaves twice or thrice pinnate, with 2 to 6 

pinnatifid leaflets, upper smaller and twice 

pinnate or pinnatifid, the ultimate segments 

linear. Herbage in flower clusters with starshaped 

hairs. Flowers perfect, on ascending 

stalks, in loose clusters at branch ends, 

elongating in fruit. Sepals 4, erect, 2 - 3 mm 

long. Petals 4. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. 

Fruit a slender pod 1 - 3 cm long, about 1 mm 

wide, pointing upward, divided into 2 

compartments by a thin membrane, with one 

row of seeds per cell. 

152 

Common Name: 

Flixweed, tansy mustard 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

During the 19th century, the species name 

sophia was the genus name for Descurainia. 

New Mexico’s first major flora (1915) by 

Wooton and Standley does not list Descurainia. 

The term tansy mustard probably derives from 

the plant’s somewhat vague resemblance to the 

European garden plant tansy, Tanacetum 

vulgare (Asteraceae). Tansy mustard blooms 

from May through July between 4000 and 8000 

ft. 

Introduced*


Dimorphocarpa wislizenii 

Size: 

20 - 50 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Dithyrea wislizenii. 

Erect annual herb, stems sparsely branched. 

Herbage woolly with star-shaped hairs. Leaves 

alternate, lanceolate, 2 - 12 cm long, 1 - 3 cm 

wide, with a wavy-toothed margin. Flowers 

perfect, on spreading stalks 7 - 12 mm long, in 

dense clusters at branch ends, elongating in 

fruit. Sepals 4, spreading. Petals 4, obovate, 5 - 

8 mm long, with a tapering base. Stamens 6, 4 

equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a 2-celled capsule, 

divided by a thin, narrow membrane, each cell 

almost round, flattened, containing a single 

seed. Fruiting stalks often sinuous. 

153 

Common Name: 

Spectacle pod 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

This remarkable plant is named for Frederick 

Wislizenus (1810-1899), a German physician 

and naturalist, who as a result of a trip to Santa 

Fe in 1846 during the Mexican War, was 

captured and held captive in Northern Mexico. 

The pods are unusual, resembling an oldfashioned 

pair of pince-nez spectacles. 

Spectacle pod blooms from May through 




Draba aurea 

Size: 

10 - 40 cm 


Description: 

Erect or reclining perennial herb, stems one to 

several, with coarse, stiff hairs, both simple and 

branched. Basal leaves oblanceolate, 1 - 5 cm 

long, 2 - 12 mm wide, with petioles, edges 

smooth to slightly toothed. Stem leaves 

alternate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 1 – 3 cm 

long, 3 - 12 mm wide, densely hairy with 

branched hairs, margins smooth or lightly 

toothed. Flowers perfect, on ascending stalks, 

in a cluster at stem end, elongating in fruit. 

Sepals 4, 2 - 4 mm long, hairy. Petals 4 

obovate, 4 - 6 mm long, narrowed at the base, 

slightly notched at apex. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 

shorter. Fruit a flattened, twisted pod 8 - 17 

mm long, 2 - 4 mm wide, with a style less than 

1.5 mm long. 

154 

Common Name: 

Twisted-pod draba, golden whitlowgrass 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

New Mexico has 12 species of Draba. Several 

have variously contorted or twisted pods. 

Differentiation depends on technical features 

such as the length of the slender cylindrical 

protuberance at the tip of the pod (style). The 

closely related Draba helleriana is also 

common in the Manzanos, but the fruit style is 

greater than 1.5mm. Draba aurea blooms from 

late June through August between 7000 and 

11000 ft. 



Draba cuneifolia 

Size: 

5 - 20 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems simple or branched, 

rough with simple, forked or star-shaped hairs. 

Basal leaves oblanceolate to obovate, 1 - 4 cm 

long, edges somewhat toothed, rough hairy with 

forked hairs. Stem leaves smaller, few, 

alternate, only near the base. Flowers perfect, 

few, on short hairy stalks, in a loose cluster at 

stem end, elongating in fruit. Sepals 4, 1 - 3 

mm long, with short hairs. Petals 4, 3 - 4 mm 

long, spatulate, notched at the apex. Stamens 6, 

4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit an upward angled 

elliptic to oblong pod, 5 - 15 mm long, with 

simple hairs or glabrous, divided into 2 

compartments by a thin membrane. 

155 

Common Name: 

Wedge-leaf whitlowgrass 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

The species name cuneifolia translates from 

Latin as “wedge-shaped leaves”. The leaf bases 

taper smoothly to a narrow connection with the 

stem. This whitlowgrass is small, with a 

slender, almost leafless, stem. Only a few small 

flowers appear at any one time. Thus, this plant 

is easily overlooked. It blooms from late March 

into May between 5000 and 7500 ft. 



Draba reptans 

Size: 

5 - 15 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems mostly unbranched, 

with stalked star-shaped hairs near base, 

glabrous above. Basal leaves obovate, 

oblanceolate, or spatulate, 1 - 3 cm long, 

smooth-edged, rounded at the apex, with simple 

hairs above, star-shaped hairs below. Stem 

leaves alternate, few, near base, obovate, sessile. 

Flowers perfect, on ascending glabrous stalks, 

clustered at stem end. Sepals 4, oblong to 

linear, 1 – 2 mm long. Petals 4, obovate, 3 - 4 

mm long, tapering to a narrow base. Petals 

sometimes reduced or absent. Stamens 6, 4 

equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a glabrous or somewhat 

hairy oblong pod 10 - 20 mm long, 1 - 2 mm 

wide, pointing upward. 

156 

Common Name: 

Smooth or Carolina whitlowgrass 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

A whitlow is an inflammation of the deeper 

tissue of a finger or toe producing a painful 

sore. Whitlowgrasses were considered a 

remedy for this condition. D. reptans is 

extremely tiny and usually grows in the midst of 

other plants. It usually goes unnoticed. It 

blooms in April and May between 5000 and 

7500 ft. 



Erysimum capitatum 

Size: 

40 - 80 cm 


Description: 

Erect biennial herb, stems single at base, 

branched above. Herbage with a dense covering 

of forked hairs lying flat. Basal leaves on 

petioles, lanceolate, 4 - 15 cm long, 4 - 10 mm 

wide. Stem leaves alternate, sessile, narrow, 

faintly toothed. Flowers perfect, on stout stalks 

4 - 8 mm long, in dense clusters at branch ends. 

Sepals 4, erect, 8 - 12 mm long. Petals 4, 

obovate or spatulate, 12 - 20 mm long, tapering 

to a narrow base. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. 

Fruit a slender pod 5 - 8 cm long, 2 mm wide, 4angled, 

with a persistent 2-lobed stigma at the 

apex. Fruiting stalks ascending. 

157 

Common Name: 

Western wallflower 

Color: 

Yellow to orange 

Notes: 

Western wall flowers are quite common, not 

just in the Manzanos, but statewide. They are 

most commonly yellow, but vary considerably 

in color, depending on altitude or location, to 

orange or even maroon. They distinctly 

resemble their European namesake and mustard 

family cousin, the English wall flower, 

Cheiranthus cheiri. Long cherished for 

medicinal properties, wallflowers actually 

contain heart active glycosides in their seeds, 

and are not recommended for herbal use. They 

bloom from May into September between 6000 

and 11000 ft. 



Lepidium alyssoides var. eastwoodiae 

Size: 

40 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Erect perennial herb, woody at the base, stems 1 

to several from above ground root crown, 

usually unbranched below the flowers, with 

short hairs or glabrous. Basal leaves smoothedged, 

to pinnately lobed, less than 10 cm long. 

Stem leaves alternate, smooth-edged, narrowly 

lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4 – 7 mm wide. 

Flowers numerous, perfect, on short stalks at 

branch and stem ends. Sepals 4, oblong or 

ovate, with a broad white margin. Petals 4, 2 – 

3 mm long, obovate to almost round. Stamens 

6. Fruit glabrous, ovate, 3 – 4 mm long, 

notched at the apex, with a style protruding 

from the notch. 

158 

Common Name: 

Pepperweed, peppergrass 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

The genus Lepidium contains about 175 species 

with natives on every continent in the world 

except Australia. North America has 38 

species. New Mexico has 12 species and a total 

of 16 varieties. The common name pepperweed 

derives from the pungent, peppery flavor of the 

leaves and especially the seeds, which are used 

as a pepper. Pepperweed blooms from June into 




Lesquerella fendleri 

Size: 

5 - 25 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Physaria fendleri. 

Perennial herb, stems several, clumped, mostly 

unbranched. Herbage with a dense covering of 

star-shaped hairs. Basal leaves elliptic, 1 - 4 cm 

long, 1 - 6 mm wide, elliptic, edges smooth or 

slightly toothed, tapering to a slender petiole. 

Stem leaves mostly linear, alternate, 5 - 25 mm 

long, 1 - 5 mm wide, tapering to the petiole. 

Flowers perfect, on straight or sinuous stalks 7 - 

15 mm long, in dense clusters at stem ends, the 

clusters exceeding the leaves. Sepals 4, elliptic 

to oblong, 5 - 8 mm long. Petals 4, obovate, 6 - 

12 mm long, tapering to a narrow base. Fruit an 

inflated ellipsoid to ovoid two-chambered, 

glabrous pod. 

159 

Common Name: 

Fendler’s bladderpod 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

The genus Lesquerella is named for Leo 

Lesquereux (1805-1899), the father of 

American paleobotany. Lesquereux started his 

botanical career as an assistant to William 

Starling Sullivant, America’s first great scholar 

of mosses. Despite profound deafness, 

Lesquereux became a great botanist and 

essentially founded the science of paleobotany 

in the United States. Fendler bladderpod is 

common throughout New Mexico. It blooms 

from late April through June between 3500 and 

7500 ft. 



Lesquerella pinetorum 

Size: 

10 - 30 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Physaria pinetorum 

Perennial herb, stems one to several, erect to 

reclining. Herbage with star-shaped hairs. 

Basal leaves rhombic to elliptic, 15 - 75 mm 

long, 3 - 12 mm wide tapering to a long, slender 

petiole. Stem leaves alternate, spatulate to 

oblanceolate, 1 - 4 cm long, 2 - 12 mm wide, 

with petioles. Flowers perfect, on stalks 6 - 12 

mm long in dense clusters at stem ends. Sepals 

4, ovate or oblong, 4 - 7.5 mm long. Petals 4, 

spatulate, 6 - 13 mm long, 2 - 4 mm wide. 

Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit an 

ellipsoidal to almost spherical 2-chambered pod, 

4 - 8 mm long, glabrous inside and out, with a 

style 4 - 9 mm long. Fruiting stalks curved or 

sinuous. 

160 

Common Name: 

Sierra Blanca bladderpod 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

This is the most common bladderpod in the 

Manzanos. In both the Manzano and Sandia 

Mountains this plant often occurs as a reduced 

form of a generally larger plant, particularly at 

higher altitudes, complicating its identification. 

Plants in this area identified as L.ovalifolia are 

really L.pinetorum. The first specimen of record 

(holotype) which defined the characteristics of 

this plant was from the Sierra Blanca area, 

Lincoln County, in August 1907. Sierra Blanca 

bladderpod blooms from April into June 




Nasturtium officinale 

Size: 

10 - 80 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum. 

Aquatic perennial herb, stems succulent, 

creeping or floating, glabrous. Leaves pinnately 

compound (sometimes pinnately lobed), with 3 - 

9 rounded, wavy-edged, fleshy leaflets, the end 

leaflet larger. Flowers perfect, on stalks, in 

dense clusters, elongating in fruit. Sepals 4, 

oblong, 2 - 3 mm long, glabrous. Petals 4, 

spatulate to oblanceolate, 3 - 5 mm long. 

Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a linear, 

cylindrical 2-chambered pod, 10 - 18 mm long, 

about 2 mm wide, with a short style. Fruiting 

stalks 6 - 12 mm long, mostly perpendicular to 

central axis. 

161 

Common Name: 

Watercress 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

Watercress is an aquatic plant, requiring running 

water or a seep. It is edible. In fact, its tangy 

flavor has made it a popular sandwich and salad 

addition. Unfortunately, most mountain water 

sources, certainly those in the Manzanos, have 

been polluted by the protozoan parasite, 

Giardia, which causes gastrointestinal 

disruption. It is no longer safe to eat uncooked, 

wild watercress. Watercress blooms from late 

April into August between 5000 and 8000 ft. 

Introduced*


Pennellia longifolia 

Size: 

50 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Erect biennial herb, stems long, slender, 

straight, branched above, with simple or forked 

hairs below, glabrous above. Basal leaves on 

petioles, oblanceolate, 4 - 8 cm long, present 

only first year. Stem leaves alternate, few, 

linear, mostly sessile, lower with simple or 

branched hairs, upper glabrous. Flowers 

perfect, on stalks, distantly spaced along stem 

and branch ends, usually on one side. Calyx 

urn-shaped, with 4 distinct erect sepals, 

glabrous, purplish. Petals 4, strap-shaped, 4.5 - 

6 mm long, barely exceeding sepals. Fruiting 

stalks arching downward, 8 - 11mm long, 

expanded at the apex. Pods narrowly 

cylindrical, glabrous, 6 - 8 cm long, pendant. 

162 

Common Name: 

Longleaf false thelypodium 

Color: 

Purplish 

Notes: 

The genus Pennellia is named for Francis 

Whittier Pennell (1886-1952), curator of botany 

at the Academy of Natural Science in 

Philadelphia, and authority on the Figwort 

family (Scrophulariaceae). Pennellia is 

represented by 8 species in North America, all 

from the American Southwest and Mexico. 

New Mexico has 2 species. The flowers of P. 

longifolia have petals scarcely longer than the 

supporting sepals. The flowers seem to go from 

bud directly to fruit. The closely related 

Pennellia micrantha also occurs in the 

Manzanos, but its pods point stiffly upward. 

False thelododium blooms from July into 




Rorippa sinuata 

Size: 

10 - 50 cm 


Description: 

Perennial herb, stems few to numerous, 

reclining, glabrous or with short puffy hairs. 

Leaves alternate, oblong to oblanceolate, 3 - 8 

cm long, 5 - 15 mm wide, edges wavy to 

pinnatifid, glabrous above, with some short, 

puffy hairs below. Lower leaves with petioles, 

middle and upper sessile, sometimes with bases 

wrapping the stem. Flowers perfect, on stalks, 

in clusters from leaf axils, elongating in fruit. 

Sepals 4, 2.5 - 4.5 mm long. Petals 4, 3 - 6 mm 

long, tapering to the base. Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 

shorter. Fruit a cylindrical pod, 6 – 12mm long, 

1 - 2 mm wide, glabrous or hairy, with a stubby 

style. 

163 

Common Name: 

Spreading yellowcress 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

Spreading yellowcress is occasional in the 

Manzanos. It prefers moist areas along streams. 

The plants are generally spindly, lying on the 

ground or draped among other plants. Its 

“miniature frankfurter” pods and incised leaves 

help in identification. It blooms from May into 

July between 5000 and 8000 ft. 



Schoenocrambe linearifolia 

Size: 

40 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Sisymbrium linearifolium. 

Erect perennial herb, stems branched above. 

Herbage glabrous. Basal leaves oblanceolate to 

spatulate, 5 - 10 cm long. Stem leaves alternate, 

linear, 5 - 10 cm long, often folded, with smooth 

edges. Flowers perfect, on upward pointing 

stalks, in loose clusters at end of stem or from 

upper leaf axils. Sepals 4, 5 - 6 mm long, 

lanceolate. Petals 4, spatulate, tapering to a 

long, narrow base, much exceeding the sepals. 

Stamens 6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a slender 

cylindrical pod 4 - 7 cm long, pointing upward, 

with 2 compartments each with one row of 

seeds. Fruiting stalks slender. 

164 

Common Name: 

Slimleaf purple mustard 

Color: 

Light purple 

Notes: 

When not in flower, the slender stem and long, 

narrow, often folded leaves of purple mustard 

give the impression of a grass. Its petals are 

quite large compared to many other mustards. 

Purple is not a common color among mustards. 

Purple mustard blooms from June into 




Sisymbrium altissimum 

Size: 

30 - 100 cm 


Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems branched above, with 

coarse, stiff hairs near base. Lowest leaves 

coarsely pinnatifid or lobed, 1 - 20 cm long, 

with coarse, stiff hairs. Upper leaves pinnatifid 

into long linear segments. Flowers perfect, on 

stalks 4 - 10 mm long, in loose clusters at 

branch ends. Sepals 4, 4 - 5 mm long, obovate 

to spatulate, tapering to a narrow base. Stamens 

6, 4 equal, 2 shorter. Fruit a cylindrical 2chambered 

pod 5 - 9 cm long, 1 - 1.5 mm wide. 

Fruiting stalks stout, spreading. Pods extending 

at same angle as stalk. 

165 

Common Name: 

Tumblemustard 

Color: 

Pale yellow 

Notes: 

When mature, the plants can be uprooted by the 

wind. As they tumble, seed is distributed. This 

plant is also commonly called Jim Hill mustard. 

Many people thought the plants spread into the 

West along railroad tracks from the East, so 

they named it after James J. Hill (1838-1916), a 

Minnesota railroad magnate of the late 19th 

century. It blooms from May into August 


Introduced*


Thelypodium wrightii 

Size: 

20 - 150 cm 


Description: 

Erect biennial herb, stems with many slender 

branches. Herbage glabrous. Basal leaves 10 - 

15 cm long, pinnatifid. Stem leaves linearlanceolate, 

3 - 9 cm long, 2 - 20 mm wide, 

pinnatifid, wavy-edged or almost smooth-edged. 

Flowers perfect, on slender, spreading to 

descending stalks, in dense clusters at branch 

ends. Sepals 4, about 5 mm long, erect. Petals 

4, oblanceolate, exceeding the sepals, tapering 

to a narrow base. Stamens 6, almost equal. 

Fruit a glabrous, flattened, somewhat lumpy pod 

3 - 7.5 cm long, 1 - 1.5 mm wide, with 2 

chambers separated by a thin membrane. 

Fruiting stalks and fruit horizontal or somewhat 

bent downwards. 

166 

Common Name: 

Wright’s thelypodium 

Color: 

White to lavender 

Notes: 

The genus Thelypodium is native to North 

America and contains 18 species, mostly from 

the western United States. New Mexico has 2 

species. Wright’s thelypodium is tall, but the 

stems, branches and leaves are slender, giving 

the plant a very delicate appearance. Its 

“cotton ball” flowers at branch tips are 

distinctive. It blooms from June through 




Cylindropuntia imbricata 

Size: 

50 - 200 cm 

CACTACEAE -- Cactus Family 

Description: 

Synonym: Opuntia imbricata 

Stems erect, fleshy or partly woody, jointed, 

joints cylindrical, 12 - 35 cm long, 2 - 3 cm in 

diameter, with prominent tubercles, 2.5 - 5 cm 

long. Spine nodes with numerous fine barbed 

hairs and 10 to 30 spines, these red, pink or 

brown, 10 - 30 mm long, barbed. Flowers open 

by day, conspicuous, 5 - 7 cm wide, petaloid 

parts reddish-purple. Fruit yellow, fleshy, 

obovoid, 2.5 - 4 cm long, with tubercles and 

spine nodes, with fine, barbed hairs, but no 

spines. 

167 

Common Name: 

Tree cholla 

Color: 

Magenta 

Notes: 

The chollas are characterized by their 

cylindrical, jointed stems. In some species the 

joints are weak allowing branches to break off 

easily. These free joints often root, providing a 

secondary method of proliferation. As with 

other erect chollas, dead branches of tree cholla 

reveal the woody “skeleton” with diamond 

shaped holes. Tree cholla is quite hardy, but 

often turns purplish in cold. It blooms from late 

May through July between 4000 and 7500 ft. 



Echinocereus coccineus 

Size: 

5 - 30 cm 


Description: 

Stems glabrous, cylindrical, 2.5 – 5 cm in 

diameter, usually branching, often forming 

dense mounds. Stems with 5 - 12 ribs, straight 

or composed of a sequence of tubercles (conical 

mounds). Central and radial spines similar. 

Central spines 0 - 4, with an angular cross 

section, 1 - 7 cm long. Radial spines 5 - 20, 

with a round cross section. Flowers broadly 

funnel-shaped, 3 - 10 cm long, 3 - 8 cm in 

diameter, erupting through the skin below stem 

tips. Stamens numerous. Stigma lobes 6 - 12, 

green. Fruit somewhat spherical, juicy, with 

spines. Fruit reddens with age, spines 

deciduous. 

168 

Common Name: 

Claret cup cactus, hedgehog 

Color: 

Deep red 

Notes: 

The genus name Echinocereus comes from the 

Greek echinos, “hedgehog” and cereus, a genus 

of shrubby, ribbed cacti. Echinocereus cacti as 

a group are referred to as hedgehogs. The genus 

contains about 60 species. New Mexico has 11 

species and a total of 18 varieties. The species 

name coccineus is Latin for “deep red”. The 

claret cup cacti, including E. coccineus and E. 

triglochidiatus, have spectacular funnel-shaped 

red flowers. The color and flower shape are 

adaptations for pollination by hummingbirds, 

unusual in cacti. Claret cup cactus blooms from 

mid-May into June between 4000 and 9000 ft. 



Echinocereus fendleri 

Size: 

8 - 30 cm 


Description: 

Plant often solitary, sometimes in clumps, stems 

egg-shaped to cylindrical, 4 – 7.5 cm in 

diameter, soft and flabby, with 7 – 10 ribs. 

Spines not obscuring stems. Central spine 0 or 

1, dark, lightening with age, 1 – 4 cm long, 

straight or slightly curved. Radial spines 5 – 9, 

whitish, straight, spreading, 1 – 2 cm long. 

Flowers borne on upper half of stems, funnelshaped, 

5 – 7 cm long and wide. Inner petals 

magenta, smooth edged. Outer petaloid parts 

with pinkish edges and brownish mid-stripe. 

Anthers yellow, stigma lobes green. Ovary tube 

with white spines about 1 cm long. Fruit green 

turning red, round, fleshy. 

169 

Common Name: 

Fendler hedgehog, strawberry cactus 

Color: 

Magenta 

Notes: 

The flowers of this Echinocereus are quite large 

and extremely attractive. It is easy to spot these 

cacti blooming as far away as 50 yards. The 

fruit of this cactus is edible. Reportedly the 

Hopis use the fruits not only fresh, but also dry 

them for later use as a sweetener. Fendler 

hedgehog blooms from late April into June 




Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. 

triglochidiatus 

Size: 

10 - 30 cm 


Description: 

Stems sometimes solitary, often several, 

sometimes many, cylindrical, 5 - 10 cm in 

diameter, 5 - 20 cm tall, wrinkled, with 6 - 8 

(usually 7) ribs, somewhat swollen at spine 

nodes. Spines all radial, 2 - 6 (commonly 3) per 

node, ashy gray to dark, 1 - 7 cm long, 2 - 3 mm 

in diameter, stout, angled, often flattened, 

grooved on upper surface. Flowers borne below 

stem tips, tubular funnel-shaped 4 - 8 cm long, 

2.5 - 6 cm in diameter, staying open for several 

days, petals stiff, waxy, blunt. Petaloid 

segments at flower base greenish, tipped with 

white wool and a few short spines. Fruit round 

to obovoid 25 - 32 mm long, 18 - 25 mm in 

diameter, with deciduous spines. 

170 

Common Name: 

Claret cup cactus 

Color: 

Scarlet 

Notes: 

The species name triglochidiatus translates from 

Latin as “with three spines”. The spines are 

often in clusters of 3, but clusters of 4, 5, or 6 

are not unusual. The spines are long and very 

stout. The petals are thick, stout and longer 

lasting than those of many cacti. This cactus is 

not common in the Manzanos. It blooms in 

May between 4500 and 7500 ft. 



Echinocereus viridiflorus 

Size: 

2 - 12 cm 


Description: 

Stems solitary or in small clusters (when 

young), almost spherical to cylindrical, 1 – 5 cm 

in diameter with 8 – 16 ribs composed of 

conical mounds. Central spines 0 – 4, red, 

brown or cream, 10 – 25 mm long. Radial 

spines 8 – 20, whitish, yellow or reddish, 6 – 18 

mm long, typically arranged in a plane flat 

against the surface. Flowers arising on sides of 

stems, funnel-shaped, 2.5 – 3 cm long and wide. 

Outer petaloid parts linear with brownish 

midline, yellow to greenish at edges. Inner ones 

greenish yellow with darker midline. Stamens 

numerous, greenish. Stigma lobes 6 – 10, fat, 

green. Fruit spheroid, green, spiny. 

171 

Common Name: 

Green-flowered hedgehog, green pitaya 

Color: 

Greenish yellow 

Notes: 

The green-flowered hedgehog ranges farther 

north than any other member of the genus 

Echinocereus, reaching as far as the 

inhospitable prairies of Wyoming and South 

Dakota. Its green flowers usually borne on the 

sides of the stems rather than near the tips make 

it easy to recognize. It blooms from mid- 

April through May between 3500 and 6500 ft. 



Escobaria vivipara var. neomexicana 

Size: 

4 - 10 cm 


Description: 

Synonyms: Coryphantha vivipara, 

Mammillaria vivipara. 

Stems single or in clumps, spherical or ovoid, 4 

- 10 cm tall, up to 6 cm in diameter, with 

spirally arranged tubercles not forming ribs, 

these grooved from the tip to the middle or base. 

Older tubercles often become corky and 

deciduous. Central spines 3 - 7, orange to 

brown, divergent, stiff, straight. Radial spines 

14 - 18, white, thin. Spines densely cover 

stems. Flowers near tip of stem, up to 6 cm 

long, up to 5 cm in diameter. Floral bracts 

intergrade with sepals which transition to petals, 

outer sepals fringed with hairs. Fruit not 

breaking open, spineless, green, up to 2.5 cm 

long and 1.5 cm in diameter. 

172 

Common Name: 

Pincushion cactus, beehive cactus 

Color: 

Pink 

Notes: 

The genus Escobaria is named for two Mexican 

botanists, Romulo Escobar and Numa Escobar. 

The genus is closely related to two other genera, 

Coryphantha and Mammillaria. This cactus has 

been placed in all 3 genera. The controversy 

continues. The species name vivipara translates 

to “bearing live young”. The stems can form 

large clumps with larger, older stems together 

with smaller younger stems, hence the plant is 

sometimes called hen-and-chicks. It flowers in 

May and June between 5000 and 7500 ft. 



Grusonia clavata 

Size: 

5 - 15 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Opuntia clavata. 

Plants forming a low mat. Stem segments 

upright to leaning, club-shaped, narrowed at the 

base, 3 - 8 cm long, 1.5 - 3 cm in diameter, with 

ovate tubercles. Spines at tubercle apex. 

Central spines 4 - 8; 1 - 3 ascending, white to 

yellowish, angular flattened to round; 3 - 5 bent 

downward, white, flattened, 12 - 35 mm long, 

tapering evenly to a point. Radial spines 6 - 13, 

5- 15 mm long, round, slender. Spine nodes 

also with yellowish white, fine, barbed hairs. 

Flowers up to 2.5 cm long, 5 cm in diameter. 

Fruit barrel shaped, yellow, 3 - 5 cm long, 1.5- 

2.5 cm in diameter, without spines, but with 

fine, barbed hairs. 

173 

Common Name: 

Dagger cholla 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

Most of the cacti called “chollas” are shrub-like, 

with long cylindrical stems. Dagger cholla is a 

very low growing plant. Its stems are short and 

cylindrical, but it forms a dense mat. A quick 

look at its main spines, angled and tapered, very 

knife-like, justifies its name as dagger cholla. It 

blooms from May into June between 6000 and 

8000 ft. 



Opuntia phaeacantha 

Size: 

20 -50 cm 


Description: 

Plants branched, generally along the ground, 

forming clumps. Stem segments flattened, 

round to obovate, 10 - 20 cm long, 8 - 18 cm 

wide, 1 - 1.5 cm thick, blue-green. Leaves 

conical, less than 9 mm long, falling early. 

Spine nodes elliptical, 2 - 2.5 cm apart. Spines 

1 - 10 on nodes of upper three-fourths of stem 

segments, stout, straight, spreading or bent 

backwards, round to flattened, tapered, yellow 

or gray at tip, red or brown at base, with small 

weaker spines below. Nodes also with fine, 

barbed hair-like spines about 1 cm long, brown, 

reddish, or yellowish brown. Flowers 6 - 8 cm 

long, 6 - 8 cm in diameter, with spine nodes on 

the exterior. Fruit obovate, smooth, fleshy, red 

to purplish, 3 - 8 cm long, 2 - 4 cm in diameter. 

174 

Common Name: 

Brown-spined prickly pear 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

The genus Opuntia is quite large and diverse. 

Plants are very hardy and adaptable. The pad 

size, flower size, plant size, spines, and other 

features vary according to environmental 

conditions, making these cacti a taxonomic 

nightmare. O. phaeacantha blooms from May 




Opuntia polyacantha 

Size: 

5 - 15 cm 


Description: 

Plants lying on the ground, much branched, 

stem segments glabrous, round to broadly 

obovate, 5 – 13 cm long, 3.5 – 10 cm wide, 

about 1 cm think, forming clumps. Spine nodes 

set closely together. Spines quite variable, 1 – 

15 per node, needle-like, 2 – 6 cm long, straight, 

curving downward or bent backwards, with fine, 

short, yellow, hair-like spines below. Flowers 

yellow, 4.5 – 8.5 cm in diameter, 4.5 – 6 cm 

long. Stigma lobes green, anthers pale yellow. 

Ovary obovoid to almost spherical, up to 4 cm 

long and 2 cm wide, with fine, short, yellow 

spines and slender spines up to 1 cm long. Fruit 

tan to brown, dry. 

175 

Common Name: 

Plains prickly pear, starvation cactus 

Color: 

Yellow 

Notes: 

Plains prickly pear is a very wide ranging cactus 

in most of the western United States. It ranges 

far north of the Canadian border, but barely 

reaches into Mexico. It may be the most 

northern of all cacti. It is possibly the spiniest 

of all prickly pears, but can also be found with 

many of the lower nodes virtually spineless. It 

blooms in May and June between 5000 and 

8000 ft. 



Pediocactus simpsonii var. simpsonii 

Size: 

3 - 15 cm (diameter) 


Description: 

Stems solitary or clumped, ovoid to spherical, 

somewhat concave on top, 3 - 15 cm in 

diameter, surface covered ungrooved, conical, 

spirally arranged tubercles, 2 - 12 mm long, 2 - 

11 mm wide. Spines at tubercle apex, obscuring 

stems. Central spines 4 - 10, tips reddish-brown 

to blackish, diverging, straight, 5 - 25 mm long. 

Radial spines 15 - 35, slender, straight, white, 3 

- 15 mm long. Flowers borne at the highest 

point of the stem (before central depression), 

often forming a ring in robust plants. Flowers 

bell-shaped, 12 - 30 mm long, 15 - 25 mm in 

diameter. Inner petaloid parts pointed, bent 

back; outer sepaloid parts brownish with whitish 

margin, without spines. Fruit cylindrical, 5 - 10 

mm in diameter, dry at maturity. 

176 

Common Name: 

Mountain ball cactus, mountain cactus 

Color: 

Pink (sometimes white, magenta, yellow) 

Notes: 

The genus Pediocactus has only 8 species. 

They are all more or less spherical, small cacti. 

They tend to occupy peculiar and obscure 

ecological niches. They are rarely observed by 

most people. New Mexico has 2 species, P. 

simpsonii and P. knowltonii. Pediocactus 

knowltonii is one of the rarest cacti in the world, 

known only from one very small area near the 

Los Pinos River in San Juan County. 

Pediocactus simpsonii is the widest ranging of 

the genus. It blooms from early May into June 




Sclerocactus papyracanthus 

Size: 

3 - 7 cm 


Description: 

Synonym: Pediocactus papyracanthus 

Stems solitary, cylindrical, 1 - 2 cm in diameter, 

surface covered with conical tubercles up to 2 

mm high. Central spines 1 - 4, white to gray, 

one being large, 20 - 30 mm long, strongly 

flattened, papery, curved, twisted. Radial spines 

6 - 8, straight, rigid, white to gray. Flowers 

bell-shaped, 2 - 3 cm long, 2 - 2.5 cm in 

diameter, not opening widely. Petaloid parts 

creamy white with brown to greenish midline. 

Fruit spineless, almost spherical, green, growing 

tan and dry with age. 

177 

Common Name: 

Grama grass cactus 

Color: 

Whitish 

Notes: 

This diminutive cactus is definitely unusual in 

the Manzanos. As with other members of the 

genus Sclerocactus, the grama grass cactus has 

been negatively affected by unmanaged 

collection. The 130 nations of the Convention 

on International Trade in Endangered Species of 

Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) now ban 

international trade of this cactus. The species 

name papyracanthus means “paper spine.” The 

flat, papery, curved or twisted spines are quite 

distinctive. The flower “petals” are whitish 

with a greenish to brownish stripe on the back. 

Grama grass cactus blooms in April and May 




Pomaria jamesii 

Size: 

10 - 40 cm 

CAESALPINIACEAE -- Caesalpinia Family 

Description: 

Synonyms: Hoffmannseggia jamesii, 

Caesalpinia jamesii. 

Erect perennial herb, stems branched, with fine, 

soft, short hairs and orange to black gland dots. 

Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate with 5 - 7 leaflets, 

each leaflet even-pinnate with 10 - 20 closely 

packed oblong pinnules 3 - 5 mm long. Flowers 

perfect, in loose, linear clusters. Calyx with 5 

nearly equal, linear-lanceolate lobes. Petals 5, 

similar in shape, overlapping, less than twice as 

long as calyx. Pods crescent-shaped, 20 - 25 

mm long, 8 - 9 mm wide, flattened, with black 

gland dots. 

178 

Common Name: 

James rushpea 

Color: 

Yellow with red 

Notes: 

This plant has undergone a number of name 

changes. It has been placed in the genus 

Hoffmannseggia, named for a German botanist, 

J. C. Hoffmannsegg (1766-1849). It has been 

placed in the genus Caesalpinia, named for 

Andrea Caesalpino (1519-1603), an Italian 

botanist, whom many think was the first 

significant botanist (not herbalist) since the 

ancient Greeks. Finally it has been placed in 

Pomaria, a transliteration of another genus 

Moparia. Regardless of its name, it blooms 

from May through July between 4000 and 6500 

ft. 



Campanula rotundifolia 

Size: 

15 - 50 cm 

CAMPANULACEAE -- Bellflower Family 

Description: 

Ascending to erect perennial herb, stems 1 to 

several, glabrous above, sometimes finely hairy 

below. Basal leaves broadly oblanceolate or 

ovate to almost round, 1 - 3 cm long, 5 - 15 mm 

wide, with petioles 1 - 7 cm long, early 

deciduous. Lower stem leaves on petioles, 

lanceolate to linear, 2 - 9 cm long, 5 - 10 mm 

wide; upper linear, sessile, 1 - 7 cm long, 1 - 5 

mm wide. Flowers perfect, on stalks, solitary 

from upper leaf axils or in loose clusters, often 

drooping. Calyx with 5 linear or narrowly 

triangular lobes 4 - 8 mm long. Corolla bellshaped, 

12 - 20 mm long, with 5 erect, ovate 

lobes. Stamens 5, distinct. Pistil 1, style 1, 

stigma 3 - 5 lobed. 

179 

Common Name: 

Harebell, bluebell of Scotland 

Color: 

Light blue-violet 

Notes: 

The genus name Campanula is Latin for little 

bell, referring to the shape of the flowers. The 

species name rotundifolia comes from the Latin 

rotundus, “round” and -folius, “leafed”, 

describing the round basal leaves. The basal 

leaves are rarely observed since they are early 

deciduous and fall before the flowers appear. 

The handsome and delicate flowers are often 

drooping. Harebells bloom from June into 




Triodanis perfoliata 

Size: 

15 - 50 cm 

CAMPANULACEAE -- Bellflower Family 

Description: 

Erect annual herb, stems angled, sometimes 

with ascending branches, with long, stiff hairs 

on the angles. Leaves alternate, 5 - 20 mm long, 

5 - 25 mm wide, with wavy-toothed edges, the 

upper broadly ovate to round, sessile with bases 

wrapping stem, palmately veined; the lower 

ovate, sometimes with petioles. Flowers 

perfect, mostly solitary in leaf axils, sessile. 

Early flowers with rudimentary corollas, selffertilizing, 

not opening, sepals 3 - 5, unequal. 

Later flowers with 5 distinct, unequal lanceolate 

sepals 3 - 6 mm long with pointed tips. Corolla 

broadly funnel-shaped 6 - 12 mm long, deeply 

5-lobed. Stamens 5, distinct. Fruit an elliptic to 

oblong capsule. 

180 

Common Name: 

Venus’ looking-glass 

Color: 

Violet 

Notes: 

The species name perfoliata comes from Latin 

and means “through the leaf”. The upper leaves 

of Venus’ looking-glass have bases which wrap 

around the stem, making it appear as though the 

stem grows through the leaves. The first flowers 

which form on these plants are deformed and 

never really open. Self-fertilization occurs 

within the closed flowers. Later in the season 

the “normal” flowers appear. Considering the 

typically small nature of the leaves, the flowers 

are spectacular. Venus’ looking-glass is rarely 

seen in the Manzanos. It blooms from early 

June through July between 5000 and 8000 ft. 



Humulus lupulus var. neomexicanus 

Size: 

Vine 

CANNABACEAE -- Hemp Family 

Description: 

Perennial herbaceous vine, stems rough. Leaves 

opposite, ovate to circular in outline, cordate, 3 - 

15 cm long and wide, palmately 3- or 5-lobed, 

the voids between lobes broad and open, lobes 

toothed. Leaf upper surface somewhat rough, 

lower surface with yellow resin dots. Petioles 

shorter than blades. Flowers inconspicuous. 

Male and female flowers on separate plants. 

Staminate (male) flowers in leafy, loose clusters 

in upper leaf axils. Sepals 5, separate. Corolla 

absent. Pistillate (female) flowers in dense 

clusters in axils. Sepals 5, joined. Corolla 

absent. Fruit resembles a green, leafy pine 

cone. 

181 

Common Name: 

Hop 

Color: 

Green 

Notes: 

The hemp family contains only three species, 

Humulus lupulus, and two species of marijuana, 

Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. 

Strangely, all three are related to intoxication. 

The marijuanas are notorious illegal drugs and 

hops are used in the flavoring and bittering of 

beer. Hops bloom in July and August between 

6000 and 7500 ft. 


CAPRIFOLIACEAE -- Honeysuckle Family 


Sambucus racemosa var. microbotrys 

Size: 

100 - 200 cm 

Description: 

Synonym: Sambucus microbotrys. 

Perennial shrub, twigs and young branches with 

conspicuous pith. Branches and leaves 

glabrous. Leaves opposite, odd-pinnately 

compound, leaflets 5 - 7, ovate to ovatelanceolate, 

6 - 12 cm long, with pointed tips and 

rounded bases, edges coarsely toothed. Flowers 

perfect, in dense ovoid or pyramidal clusters 4 - 

7 cm wide, at stem ends. Sepals 3 - 5, minute. 

Corolla round, flat, with 3 - 5 equal lobes, these 

much longer than the tube. Stamens 5. Fruit 

bright red, 4 - 5 mm in diameter. 

182 

Common Name: 

Red elderberry 

Color: 

White to cream 

Notes: 

Elderberry bushes vary in size from a single 

twig to large shrubs taller and wider than a 

person. The berries of several varieties of elder 

berry are eaten by birds and bears, and wines 

and jellies are made by enterprising humans. 

Red elderberry, however, is considered toxic, 

particularly leaves, stems, and roots. It blooms 

in June and early July between 8000 and 11000 

ft. 



Symphoricarpos rotundifolius 

Size: 

50 - 150 cm 

CAPRIFOLIACEAE -- Honeysuckle Family 

Description: 

Synonym: Symphoricarpos oreophilus 

Shrub, stems much branched, bark peeling; 

young twigs glabrous. Leaves opposite, 1 - 3 

cm long, oval, toothed or with smooth edges, 

mostly glabrous, with petioles 2 mm long, 

stipules none. Flowers occur singly or in pairs 

in leaf axils, or sometimes in few-flowered 

clusters at branch ends. Calyx lobes 5, not 

equal, up to 1 mm long, glabrous. Corolla 

funnel form, somewhat irregular, 10 - 15 mm 

long, 5-lobed, the lobes much shorter than the 

tube, this glabrous or somewhat hairy inside. 

Stamens 4 or 5 , not exceeding the tube. Ovary 

inferior, with 4 cells, 2 usually functional. 

Fruit an ellipsoid white berry. 

183 

Common Name: 

Mountain snowberry 

Color: 

White to pink 

Notes: 

The genus name Symphoricarpos translates 

from Greek as “to bear together”. The creamy 

white flowers almost always occur in pairs 

which droop from the branches as do the 

distinctive white berries. Snowberry bushes are 

browsed by deer and the berries are harvested 

by numerous birds. They bloom from June into 

August between 6500 and 9000 ft. 



Arenaria fendleri 

Size: 

10 - 30 cm 

CARYOPHYLLACEAE -- Pink Family 

Description: 

Synonym: Eremogone fendleri 

Erect to ascending perennial herb, stems 

clumped, with gland-tipped hairs above. Basal 

leaves 4 - 10 cm long, grass-like, pointed, 

pungent. Stem leaves opposite, 3 - 5 pairs, 

grass-like, reduced above. Flowers on stalks 10 

- 15 mm long in open clusters of 2 to several at 

stem ends. Sepals 5, mostly distinct, lanceolate 

to linear-lanceolate, 4 - 6 mm long, with papery 

margins. Petals 5, oblong, 5 - 8 mm long, 

sometimes notched at the tip. Stamens 10. 

Pistil 1, styles 3. Fruit a capsule, 6-toothed, 

ellipsoid. 

184 

Common Name: 

Fendler’s sandwort 

Color: 

White 

Notes: 

Fendler’s sandwort is distinctive with its sharppointed 

grass-like leaves and its white flowers 

with 5 petals and 10 stamens. This species is 

actually a group of at least 7 varieties. New 

Mexico has 3 of them. The suffix “wort” often 

engenders feelings that the plant is somehow 

ugly or unpleasant, but it is only an ancient 

word meaning “plant”. Fendler’s sandwort 

blooms from July into September between 7000 

and 10000 ft. 


185

BERBERIDACEAE -- Barberry Family - New Mexico Flores

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