Carlowrightia Species, Texas Carlowrightia, Texas Wrightwort

I have not grown this plant. Texas carlowrightia, Texas wrightwort (Carlowrightia texana) is native to southeast New Mexico (distributi...Read Moreon is peripheral), Texas (Edwards Plateau, Rio Grande Plains, Trans-Pecos Regions - Counties: Bexar, Brewster, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kimble, Kleberg, Live Oak, Pecos, Presidio, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde and Webb) and Mexico (Coahuila and Chihuahau). It had been reported that it may be growing natively in Arizona as well in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area east of the Huachuca Mountains (Elizabeth Makings, personal communication to Thomas R. Van Devender and Ana Lilia Reina, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona, 2004). Arizona State University has verified its presence. It is the most common Carlowrightia species growing in the in the Trans-Pecos area growing on rocky slopes and flats.

Texas wrightwort is an erect to spreading small subshrub that is hebaceous or sometimes woody and has pubescent herbage. The branches are slender and the stems have hairs recurved hairs. The opposite, smooth-margined, ovate to lanceolate leaves are 1.7 cm long by 1.2 cm wide (sometimes larger). The small, 6 to 7 mm long, white flowers with maroon veins and 2 stamen appear from April to November. The calyx has 5 lobes and the slender tubed corolla is subequally 4-lobed with the upper lobe being a fusion of 2 petals. The flowers are followed by fruit which are 2-celled, stalked capsules which contain 4 seeds. The smooth-margined seeds are expelled forcefully when the capsules split into 2 parts which is referred to as "exploding".

Texas wrightwort is very drought and heat tolerant. It is adaptable to different soil types. It is a host plant for butterflies and various and provides shelter for small animals.