Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures by color ( Other & Bicolor ), 1 by htop

htop wrote:
Narrowleaf Goldshower (Galphimia angustifolia), Malpighiaceae Family, endemic, perennial, subshrub, blooms from April through September

Narrowleaf goldshower usually grows in rocky limestone soils from the Edwards Plateau Region south to Mexico in open or lightly wooded areas and open rocky slopes. Preferring to be sheltered from the hot afternoon sun, it requires some morning sun to prosper so it can be found at the edges of woodlands. It typically occurs in very small colonies. A subshrub that has a semi-woody base, it has a hard woody root, numerous erect stems and attains a height between 6 and 12 inches. Being a plant that is small in stature and having small blooms, it is easily overlooked.

The 25-50 mm long, linear lanceolate, opposite leaves are sessile (lacking stems) or nearly so. The racemes are about 15 cm long and produce 5-petalled, windmill-like blooms that are about 1/2 inch in size. They each may be one of the following colors: yellow, orange, gold, red, red-orange or yellow-orange. The blooms appear to turn red with age. This variety of bloom colors which frequently occur on the same raceme adds interest to the plant. The blooming period begins in April and continues through September or so. The blooms are followed by tiny (3-4 mm), roundish in shape, 3-lobed capsules which split when dried to release the seed.

This plant would make an interesting addition to wildscapes, xeriscapes and rock gardens. It is a very interesting looking plant. I found it growing in an area that will be bulldozed. I have never seen it growing there before. I am thinking that the rains have helped it become established from seeds that had been there in a dormant state. Then, again, it is a small plant and perhaps I had not noticed it in years past. I hope I will be able to dig one up, plant it somewhere in my yard and save it from destruction. It may be an infrequently found plant. I can not find much information about it.

Distribution:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Texas&statefip...

For more information, see its entry in the PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/136776/index.html

Its bloom can be up to 1/2 inch.