Varronia Species, Texas Manjack

I haven't grown this plant, as I didn't even know about it until this past September. It is a close relative of its more famous cousin, t...Read Morehe Mexican olive (Cordia boissieri). When I saw this plant in a picnic area off Highway 181 in Bee County, Texas, it was growing on the eastern edge of a copse of brazilwood, desert yaupon, Texas hogplum, lime prickly-ash, live oak, and ball moss, in sandy, alkaline soil typical of the South Texas scrub. It would be fully shaded in the morning with dappled light at noon and full sun exposure in the afternoon. The soil was moist when I got there, but it had just rained recently. I would not be at all surprised if it were very drought-tolerant, being native to deep South Texas, where droughts are an integral part of the weather cycle. Unlike most of the other plants listed above, it is probably deciduous, since I didn't see it when I passed through the same area during a previous winter. The leaves are alternate, sandpapery, toothed, and lanceolate, somewhat reminiscent of the leaflets of hemp. The flowers are white and trumpet-shaped, somewhat smaller than 1", with the petals fully fused into one. Habit-wise, I would characterize it as a small shrub. I didn't get a good look at its height, but it was definitely no taller than 8'. I don't know the full time range of its blooms, but it was in full bloom in the middle of September when I saw it.

Brandon