Mirabilis laevis var. retrorsa

Wishbone bush

Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Wishbone bush is a California native perennial found in the Mojave Desert and White and Inyo Mountains in rocky places at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers in bell-shaped involucres 5 to 6 millimeters long, with a perianth 8 to 12 millimeters wide. Growing with branched stems covered in short, reflexed hairs and occasional glandular hairs, it forms a distinctive shrubby structure. Its leaves are small, measuring 0.5 to 3.5 centimeters long, and are also covered with short reflexed hairs. The fruit is nearly spherical with 5 to 10 visible lines, adding to the plant's unique texture.

Habitat: Rocky places

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: < 2300 m

Bioregions: W&ampI, D

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, Imperial, Los Angeles, Mono, Fresno, Lassen

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.