Names
Scientific Name: Thamnosma texana
Synonym: Rutosma purpurea
Common Names: Dutchman's breeches
Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Rocky desert slopes and mesas, 2,000 to 5,000 feet
Flower Color: White, yellow, purple
Flowering Season: Spring to early summer
Height:up to 1 foot
Description: a low, aromatic, perennial herb with a woody base, thin stems, and narrow, linear leaves. The flowers are small, 1/8 to 3/16 inch wide, arranged along the upper half of the stems. They are yellow in the eastern part of the plant’s range, purple in the west. The fruit is a 2 or 3-lobed capsule with an inflated appearance, thus the name Dutchman’s breeches. The entire plant is covered with aromatic nodules that release fragrance when crushed.
Special Characteristics
This plant is a larval host and nectar source for the black swallowtail butterfly.
Classification
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
SOURCES:
University of Austin, Lady Bird Johnson wildflower center
wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=THTE2
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences: wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/thamnosma_texana.html
Kearney, T. H. and R. H. Peebles. 1960. Arizona Flora. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
