Another plant to identify

shllnzl

I am continuing to identify plants on this property. Any help would be appreciated.

The flower had the cutest grasshopper I had even seen (see above), but I shooed it away.

seeker.nancy - Central Texas

Wow that looks so cool! Is it in an area that is planned or is it in an area that you think it's a native? I'm certainly curious!

Torey

You are in the desert, correct? Wondering if this is a species of Ephedra (aka Mormon Tea or Jointfir); maybe E. californica or E. nevadensis? I have never seen a close-up of the flowers before but the stems certainly fit the description of Ephedra and I know it bears its flowers along the stems like your specimen. How lucky for you if it is! It doesn't have the same properties as its cousin Ephedra sinica (Ma huang), but it can work to assist with breathing during a respiratory illness due to its ability to dry up excess mucus. Its an alterative so useful as a spring tonic for the kidneys and as a digestive aid.

shllnzl

@seeker.nancy This plant is a volunteer and I think I tried to pull it up last year. I am letting more plants grow now that I am learning about herbal medicine.

The previous owners mixed desert adapted plants in the front yard and the flowers have naturalized. I thought this might be a Brigham tea but so far I have been unable to match it to anything. I have a purple wildflower that I cannot match as well.

As you can tell, there are hardly any leaves on this plant and the flower looks sort of like a small iris. I couldn't match it to a bamboo either.

That grasshopper was unique, looked like a cartoon.

shllnzl

@torey You and I were writing comments simultaneously.

Most photos of Brigham (Mormon) Tea look grubby and more bushy. In fact, I think I have a couple elsewhere on the property. Photos of the blooms did not look the same. That said, it may just be a young pampered version of the plant. We shall see.

That reminds me: I should hike down into the desert part of the property and take a cutting of my almost Indigo Bush while it is in bloom (closest ID I could manage but blooms are wrong color.) The bush is small and ratty but the small purple blossoms look like miniature orchid blooms. A pampered version of that plant could be pretty.

Torey

@shllnzl E. sinica has flowers that are more of a bright yellow so perhaps it has been planted. That was my best guess, anyhow. Hope someone is able to come up with a definitive answer.

shllnzl

@torey @seeker.nancy The flowers are lemon yellow but not the same type as E. sinica. However, I went down to take my cutting and noticed other, similar plants growing wild. I most likely have the prettiest Brigham (Mormon) Tea that has ever been. It seems to be some form of ephedra.

I am posting a photo of my "Indigo" cutting. I reduced photo size to comply with forum requirements, so I hope you can see the detail.

LaurieLovesLearning

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/861192#Comment_861192

Like a cartoon? You should watch some online episodes of Miniscule. They are a favorite at our house. They do a lot of mini shows and you can find a lot on YouTube. Most are only a few minutes long. This one is with a spider & a balloon. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/qnliqmmhmjA

shllnzl

@LaurieLovesLearning That was cute. I am amazed at the mind(s) behind that one.

shllnzl

I expanded photo to try to show the unique little grasshopper.

JodieDownUnder

@LaurieLovesLearning love the miniscule series. Our ABC tv used to put them on as "fillers" before the nightly news.

@shllnzl sorry not familiar with that plant but it looks like a pea shaped flower so could be a nitrogen fixer?

shllnzl

I think I have identified the plant shown in the first comment. Unfortunately, it is not a Mormon Tea.

I am assuming it is a volunteer because it is too close to other plants in the landscape.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/spartium-junceum-spanish-broom