Sandbells (Nama hispidum, family: Hydrophyllaceae) are wildflowers I generally see around April and May in my part West Texas. They are easily confused with Dakota Mock Vervain. I generally find these tough little plants growing in open areas with sandy soils. The first image shows an example of this species growing through the tarmac on the edge of a country road.

The second image shows how Sandbells tend to spread outward from a center where the roots extend into the soil. In both these images you can see the tendency for the outer margins of the leaves to cup downward. This and the fact that the leaves are not subdivided into many tiny leaflets helps distinguish this plant from Dakota Mock Vervain which may also be in bloom in the vicinity.

Note the 5 lobed, lavender, tubular flowers visible in this image. You can also see the ends of the pistils in white in the center, and the yellow center color. Notice how the margins of the leaves have robust almost spiny hairs along the margins. All of these characters are useful for distinguishing Sandbells from Dakota Mock Vervain. You can see Dakota Mock Vervain on this website, here, here, and here.

The post Beautiful, Hardy Sandbells appeared first on GJM Nature Media.