About Krameria erecta Willd. ex Schult.
Krameria erecta Willd. ex Schult. is a small, tangled shrub that grows less than one meter tall. It has ascending branches covered in silky hairs, along with fuzzy linear leaves, and its branch tips are not thornlike. This shrub blooms in spring, and will bloom a second time in fall during wetter years. Its showy flowers have four or five bright pink, cup-shaped sepals, and usually five smaller pink triangular petals with green bases. The three upper petals stand erect, while the lower two are glandular structures positioned next to the ovary. Four curving stamens sit adjacent to these petals. This species is pollinated by the bees Centris atripes and Centris rhodopus. Its fruit is a furry, heart-shaped structure covered in pink spines, and the species reproduces by seed. Krameria erecta, along with other species in its genus, is a root parasite: it taps into the tissues of nearby plants to obtain nutrients, especially water. This adaptation allows it to survive in nearly completely dry soil.
