Erect, branching stems reach 16 inches tall and are covered with fine, white, flat-lying hairs. Note the opposite leaves and the clusters of (usually) 3 trumpet-shaped, creamy-yellow flowers from the leaf axils. The flowers bloom at night for hawk moth pollination.

FLOWER: April–October. Clusters of 3 flowers grow from leaf axils; the long, narrow flower tube abruptly spreads open with 5 rounded, cream-colored lobes, often tinged with red, and fading to red; Stamens and stigma extend far outside throat.

LEAVES: Opposite; stem (petiole) 1/8–3/8 inch long (4–10 mm); leaf pair aligned at right angles to adjacent pairs. Blades lance-shaped to oval with pointed tip, 3/4–1 3/4 inches long (2–4 cm), to 3/4 inch wide (18 mm); margin entire to irregularly toothed with 2–3 sharp teeth on each edge; surfaces covered with fine, white hairy.

HABITAT: Sandy, rocky, loam soils; brush lands, sandy flats, slopes, foothills; pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert grasslands and scrub.

ELEVATION: 3,300–8,500 feet.

RANGE: AZ, NM, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Two varieties of wrinklefruit in NM; var. coulteri has mostly entire leaves; var. angustifolia leaves have toothed margins.

NM COUNTIES: Southern 1/2 of NM in low- to mid-elevation, dry habitats:  Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Lea, Luna, Otero, Quay, Sierra, Socorro, Valencia.