Plagiobothrys arizonicus – Arizona Popcornflower

Plagiobothrys arizonicus - Arizona Popcornflower, Bloodweed, Blood Weed, Lipstick Weed, Lipstick Plant

Plagiobothrys arizonicus - Arizona Popcornflower, Bloodweed, Blood Weed, Lipstick Weed, Lipstick Plant

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Plagiobothrys arizonicus

Common Names: Arizona Popcornflower, Bloodweed, Blood Weed, Lipstick Weed, Lipstick Plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland

Flower Color: White

Flowering Season: Spring

Height: To 16 inches (41 cm) tall

Description: The flowers are tiny, tubular, and have 5 rounded lobes. The leaves are green, simple, in a basal rosette below, alternate above, and have reddish margins and reddish underside midribs. The red color is due to a red-staining dye that is also present in the reddish lower stems and roots. Crushing the foliage will leave bright magenta-red stains on your hand. Both the leaves and the slender, upright stems are covered in stiff hairs.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Lamiales
Family: Boraginaceae – Borage family
Genus: Plagiobothrys Fisch. & C.A. Mey. – popcornflower
Species: Plagiobothrys arizonicus (A. Gray) Greene ex A. Gray – Arizona popcornflower

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map