Desert Trumpet

eriogonum inflatum

The Desert Trumpet (Eriogonum inflatum) is one of the most curious and distinctive botanical residents of the North American deserts. Characterized by its strikingly inflated, hollow stems, this resilient plant stands out against the harsh, arid landscapes of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin deserts. Its unique swelling resembles small pipes or trumpets, giving rise to its evocative common name. The plant produces delicate clusters of tiny, bright yellow flowers at the tips of its branches, offering a stark and beautiful contrast to its structural, sculptural frame. Beyond its fascinating appearance, the Desert Trumpet is a marvel of desert adaptation, storing carbon dioxide inside its swollen stems to aid in photosynthesis.

生息地: Found in dry, sandy, or gravelly washes, desert flats, and rocky slopes of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

外見

The Desert Trumpet is easily identified by its smooth, hairless, bluish-green stems that swell dramatically just below the branching joints, creating hollow, bottle-like structures up to several centimeters wide. The plant grows from a flat basal rosette of crinkly, spade-shaped leaves that often wither as the dry season progresses. At the tips of its skeletal, multi-branched stems, it bears loose clusters of tiny, bell-shaped yellow or greenish-yellow flowers, which eventually turn reddish-brown as they dry out. The entire plant typically reaches heights of 30 to 100 cm.

界Plantae門Tracheophyta綱Magnoliopsida目Caryophyllales科Polygonaceae属Eriogonum

Desert Trumpet

カテゴリ

植物

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Historically, Indigenous peoples, such as the Paiute, dried the swollen stems and used them as natural smoking pipes.

Small desert wasps sometimes chew holes into the inflated chambers of the stems to use them as safe, sheltered nesting sites.

The stems are frequently inflated because they trap carbon dioxide gas, which can be up to 100 times more concentrated inside the stem than in the surrounding atmosphere.

特殊能力

The hollow, swollen stems store carbon dioxide, allowing the plant to continue photosynthesis even when its stomata are closed during hot, dry days to prevent water loss.

It grows a flat rosette of leaves during the winter rains to maximize moisture absorption, which then safely dies back during dry summers while the green stems continue photosynthesizing.

This species is known to tolerate soils high in heavy metals, particularly gypsum and clay, allowing it to colonize harsh areas where other plants cannot survive.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 30-100 cm
体重: 0.05-0.5 kg
寿命: 1-3 年

食性と食事

As a photosynthetic plant, the Desert Trumpet generates its own energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, drawing essential minerals from dry desert soils.

主な食物

Sunlight
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Soil Minerals

生態系とのつながり

host plant

Mormon Metalmark

Apodemia mormo

The caterpillar of this butterfly feeds on the leaves and stems of the Desert Trumpet, while adults drink its nectar.

eaten by

Desert Harvester Ant

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Ants collect and consume the seeds dropped by the Desert Trumpet, occasionally helping with seed dispersal.

eaten by

Desert Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis nelsoni

Bighorn sheep occasionally browse on the succulent, moisture-rich inflated stems during dry periods.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Desert Trumpetを見分けるには？

Desert Trumpetを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Desert Trumpetの長さは何ですか？

30-100 cm

Desert Trumpetの体重は何ですか？

0.05-0.5 kg

Desert Trumpetの寿命は何ですか？

1-3 年

Desert Trumpetは何を食べますか？

As a photosynthetic plant, the Desert Trumpet generates its own energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, drawing essential minerals from dry desert soils.

Desert Trumpetは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found in dry, sandy, or gravelly washes, desert flats, and rocky slopes of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.