Krameria grayi

Taxobox

---

image_width = 240 px
image_caption = barbed fruit
status = LC
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Zygophyllales
familia = Krameriaceae
genus = "Krameria"
species = "K. grayi"
binomial = "Krameria grayi"
binomial_authority = Rose & Painter
synonyms =

"Krameria grayi" is a perennial shrub or subshrub of the family Krameriaceae, the Rhatanies. It is commonly known as White Ratany, Chacate (or kosawui in the state of sonora) in spanish, and Crimson-Beak and is found in drier environments of the southwestern United States from California to Texas, and in northern Mexico.

It is a low lying, densely branched shrub, commonly up to convert|2|ft|m|0, but exceptionally to beyond convert|5.0|ft|m|0. It is spiny in form for the branches, but the spines-(the actual branches) are not sharp nor firm on the tips; leaves are grey green to greenish, finely-haired, narrow and only 0.5 to 0.75 in long.

The color of the plant and branches is grayish-green to gray, or whitish-gray, to dull browns; also tingeing to deep maroon-reds. The flowers are not always conspicuous, (noticeable), often sparse, reddish, or maroon-reddish, but plants in some locales-(a protected wash for example), can be up to convert|6.5|ft|m|0 and massive and conspicuous in flower output-(riparian southern Lower Colorado River Valley).

White Ratany prefers dry, desert environments, but is also advantageous to water, or soil moisture and is found up to convert|1524|m|ft|0 (sunlit slopes); the plant is partially parasitic, for example on creosote bush, "Larrea tridentata".

References

* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4741,4742,4744 Jepson Flora Project: "Krameria grayi"]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=KRGR USDA: NRCS: Plants Profile "Krameria grayi"] ; [http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=krgr_006_ahp.tif Photo-High Res--(Close-up)] - (Photo of Flowers, Spines, & Leaves)
* [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Krameria+grayi Images from the CalPhotos archive]
* [http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=KRGR "Krameria grayi" at LBJ Wildflower Center]