Tetraclea coulteri – Coulter's Wrinklefruit

Tetraclea coulteri - Coulter's Wrinklefruit

Tetraclea coulteri - Coulter's Wrinklefruit

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Tetraclea coulteri

Common Name: Coulter's Wrinklefruit

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland (lower elevation)

Flower Color: White to cream, Tan (with age)

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall (early). This wildflower mainly blooms after the summer monsoon rains.

Height: To 16 inches (41 cm) tall

Description: The flowers are in clusters of 1 to 3 in the leaf axils. The individual flowers are tubular and have 5 lobes, 4 stamens, and a pinkish floral tube. The flowers are nocturnal and are mostly closed during the day. The flowers are followed by distinctive, wrinkly, green fruits with 4 rounded lobes. The leaves are green, opposite, variably toothed, and ovate to lanceolate in shape.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae – Verbena family
Genus: Tetraclea A. Gray – tetraclea
Species: Tetraclea coulteri A. Gray – Coulter's wrinklefruit

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map