Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Wednesday - May 30, 2012
From: Fort Worth, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
I had a strange plant pop up in my yard this year, and I figured maybe you guys could help me out. This plant is spreading along the ground, and the stem is woody right where it is coming out of the ground. It has complex leaflets, and I'm not sure if I'm using the terminology correctly, but I mean that the stems have little stems coming off of them that are covered in neat little leaflets. At first I thought it was some kind of fern, but then it started pushing up separate stems with a spiky little ball on the end of them, and in the course of a few days, all of those little spikes starting opening up into little flowers about an eighth of an inch long. They apparently pollinated, because now the plant has slightly curved seedpods growing up from the plant that kind of resemble claws, and some of them are already two inches long. The leaflets fold up at night and during the day when the sun is hitting it directly. The little plant is growing in a little area that is shaded for most of the day.ANSWER:
From your description your plant sound like one of the species of Desmanthus. According to the USDA Plant Database there are 3 species that occur in or adjacent to Tarrant County. You can see the county distribution for each of those below by clicking on Texas on its distribution map.
Desmanthus illinoensis (Illinois bundleflower)
Desmanthus leptolobus (Slenderlobe bundleflower) and here are photos and more information.
Desmanthus velutinus (Velvet bundleflower) and here are more photos.
We think the most likely identity for your plant is Desmanthus velutinus (Velvet bundleflower). The Illinois bundleflower seed pods are very curved even when young and green and the fruits of D. leptolobus is usually not as indented as those of D. velutinus.
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Identification Questions
Weed identification
February 27, 2012 - Weeds / Wildflower. I dream of a photo identification for weeds / wildflowers that pop up in my garden here in Austin, Texas. Maybe I don't want to pull them up. How do I know? Do you know of a b...
view the full question and answer
Plant Identification
September 24, 2008 - I have a single stem red vine with purple berries growing on it. It is in a cluster of bushes and gets mostly morning and early afternoon sun. The berries also have small bumps at the stem. I have ...
view the full question and answer
Identity of very tall plants in Austin, TX
August 13, 2012 - I have these huge tall plants. They don't seem to want to bloom and they are shading out my other natives. They get very tall. 10 feet or so.
What is it?
view the full question and answer
Plant identification from Sarasota, FL.
August 23, 2010 - Hi I recently went to Discovery Cove in Orlando Florida and saw a purple flowering tree/shrub that had branches similar to okra shape or starfruit shape, the leaves were very grainy similar to alligat...
view the full question and answer
Help identify a plant.
February 21, 2008 - Could you help me to identify this plant?
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
