Dicliptera resupinata Foldwing
PERENNIAL HERB. A bright green shrubby plant, up to half a meter
tall, with opposite leaves and distinctly grooved, four-sided stems.
Stems are tipped with several pairs of heart-shaped bracts that are the
most conspicuous feature of the plant. The bracts are about 1 cm
and are conspicuously veined. In winter, the previous season's white
twigs, topped with papery bracts, indicate the presence of this plant.
Bright pink two-lipped flowers bloom a few at a time, one from each bract.
Blooms from May until frost. In the Empires, very common along sandy
washes, especially in the dense thickets of canyon hackberry (Celtis laevigata)
along the upper end of Davidson Canyon.
FAMILY: Acanthaceae (Acanthus Family)