The pretty crimson or reddish pink flowers of aliciella subnuda are formed of a slender, slightly tapering tube that opens out into five pointed lobes. Stems, calyx, petals and leaves have a covering of tiny, sticky (glandular) hairs which often cause sand and other particles to become attached.
Flowers form at the ends of thin, branched, leafless stems; leaves grow only around the base, in a compact rosette. The greenish-purple calyx, at the base of the corolla tube, also has five components, and is about a quarter of an inch in length, much shorter than the corolla. The styles and stamens do not project out of the corolla tube.
Common names:
Coral gilia, carmine gilia
Family:
Scientific name:
Aliciella subnuda
Synonym:
Gilia subnuda
Main flower color:
Range:
The Four Corners area of AZ, UT, CO and NM
Height:
Up to 27 inches
Habitat:
Exposed, sandy areas, rocky outcrops; up to 7500 feet
Leaves:
Oblanceolate, lined by shallow teeth or lobes, in a basal rosette
Season:
April to July
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