[Illustration: Orthocarpus purpurascens]
Common names: OWLCLOVER, (_ESCOBITA_)
Arizona and California deserts: (_Orthocarpus purpurascens_).
Red-purple. March-May.
Figwort family. Size: 4 to 8 inches high.
This short, leafy annual ranging in color from rich velvet red to purple
is noticeable even as an individual plant, but, following winters of
above average rainfall, it often grows en masse, covering portions of
the desert floor with a carpet of bright purple; sometimes in pure
stands, often mixed with Goldpoppy, Lupine, and other spring flowers.
Since _Escobita_ is limited in range to southern and western Arizona,
California, and Lower California at elevations below 3,000 feet, Organ
Pipe Cactus National Monument is well within its range, and in that area
can be seen at its spectacular best.
The California variety has the lower lip of the blossom tipped with rich
yellow.