Sairocarpus nuttallianus, Violet Snapdragon, Southwest Desert Flora

Sairocarpus nuttallianus, Violet Snapdragon

Violet Snapdragon is an annual, rarely a biennial, forb/herb with erect stems and beautiful flowers. Plants often cling to adjacent plants or structure but do not twin like a vine. Sairocarpus nuttallianus

Violet Snapdragon has violet, lavender or blue-purple flowers with small flower stalks originating from leaf axils. Sairocarpus nuttallianus

Scientific Name: Sairocarpus nuttallianus
Common Name: Violet Snapdragon
Also Called: Nuttall Snapdragon, Violet Toad's-mouth
Family: Scrophulariaceae, Figwort or Snapdragon Family - Moving to Plantaginaceae
Synonyms: (Antirrhinum nuttallianum, Antirrhinum nuttallianum subsp. nuttallianum)
Status: Native
Duration: Annual, rarely biennial; plants glandular hairy.
Size: Up to 12 inches or more.
Growth Form: Forb/herb; stems erect, often clinging to adjacent structure.
Leaves: Green; upper leaves alternate;
Flower Color: Violet, lavender, blue-purple; flowers axillary on pedicels as long or longer than the calyx; corolla with white blotches on lower lip, California species with gold hairs in throat, corolla strongly bilabiate; flowers small but showy, variable in size; flowers solitary; lower flowers subtended by twining branchlets;
Flowering Season: March to May.
Elevation: Up to 4,000 feet in Arizona and California.

Habitat Preferences: Canyons, rocky areas, disturbed areas, dunes in California.

Recorded Range: Baja California

North America & US County Distribution Map for Sairocarpus nuttallianus.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: In North America there are 12 species and 12 accepted taxa overall for Sairocarpus. World wide, The Plant List includes 12 accepted species names and includes a further 2 infraspecific rank for the genus.

In the Southwestern United States, Arizona there are 3 species of Sairocarpus, in California there are 10 species, Nevada and Utah have 1 species, New Mexico and Texas have 0 species. All data is approximate and subject to taxonomic changes.

Comments: Sairocarpus nuttallianus previously included in the genus Antirrhinum, which also includes the popular garden Common Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus, a native of southern Europe.