One Of The Oddest Desert Plants / Desert Trumpet (Eriogonum inflatum)

Deserts are full of unique and beautiful things, especially as far as plant-life. This is not only one of the more unique it also is possible one of the most difficult plants to photograph. It consists of a tall main stem that branches out into a thin wiry canopy. The only leaves are ground level. Late winter, early spring a rosette of short stem round leafed base appear no more than several inches wide. Seemingly almost like miniature launch pads for a single stem to rise from the rosettes center several times taller than the leaf base is wide. Near the top the stem swells for a couple of inches then tapers to a node before branching out in three to four directions before repeating a few more segments, reaching a total height of two or three feet from the ground. At maturity short stemmed inflorescence of several buds emerge the size of an average male’s thumbnail. These bloom into tiny bright yellow flowers throughout the canopy. Almost like a pyrotechnic crossette display in freeze frame.