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Any ideas? Found it up near Page at the Horseshoe Bend overlook. Only thing in bloom - pretty sure I've never seen this before (at least not in bloom). No visible leaves on plant - just succulent stems like a ephedra or koeberlinia... But these crazy purple flowers? Wow! Any ideas???

Rob just added that one to the database a couple days ago
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?dex=1&PID=909

Perfect!

hi- new to the board-
havent introduced myself but im a plant savy hiker--

that is Thamnosma montana
- The common name is Turpetine broom-
its very aromatic
http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fiel ... ntana.html

OK, but why does it look so much like Ephedra (Mormon Tea) in those photos?

they do look similar- convergent evolution to living in that habitat?
remember that ephedra is a gymnosperm( nonflowering) and thamnosma is a angiosperm- (flowering)- see the pretty purple flowers
http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=THMO

Ok, thanks--just wondering!

keep hiking wrote:hi- new to the board-
havent introduced myself but im a plant savy hiker--

Welcome aboard. Your skills will be appreciated. Any help you can lend on the unidentified flora will be very helpful. Anybody that can explain convergent evolution gets a round of applause