In favorable years these ground-hugging plants form broad, colorful
mats, but in dry seasons these annuals may be tiny, each with a single
flower almost as large as the rest of the plant. Flowering from February
to May, bloom is heaviest in March and April. This species, also called
“purplemat,” is common on flat, sandy, open desert soils from
southeastern California and Baja California to southeastern Arizona at
elevations below 3,500 feet. Because of its low-growing habit, nama
requires that you lie prone to examine it closely, hence is one of the
many small desert herbs called “bellyflowers.”
_Nama demissum_ Waterleaf Family
[Illustration: NAMA]