Green Lace

Delicate new leaves of spotted hideseed (Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia) find refuge in the protection of a basalt boulder along a desert trail in north Phoenix. The tiny white flowers are some of the first to bloom among Sonoran desert annual wildflowers, quickly transforming to tiny burred seed capsules that stick to fur and socks for easy dispersal.

A larger cousin of this species is fiesta flower (Pholistoma auritum), which has lavender colored petals. The lanky, sprawling stems and leaves of fiesta flower are covered with tiny hairs that stick like velcro to clothing and hair, a colorful and aromatic adornment for young ladies to decorate themselves with during fiesta time!