''Ipomopsis rubra'' is a flowering plant of the

phlox ''Phlox'' (; "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", ) is a genus of 68 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open ...

family native to North America in the state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and the southeastern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, commonly known as ''standing cypress'', ''scarlet gilia'', ''Texas plume'', ''flame flower'', and ''indian spur''. This classification is synonymous with ''Gilia rubra''. This flower is noteworthy for its bright, upturned flowers.

Identification

''Ipomosis rubra'' has very short, filament leaves attached to long stems, upwards of five feet long in some cases. ''Ipomosis rubra'' flowers are about an inch long with a number of small

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

inside. The tubular flowers grow in spears and all point upwards. The flowers have small yellow dots inside, and have five lobed

petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...

. ''Ipomosis rubra'' also has a very long taproot to survive droughts.

Uses

This flower has found use in gardens as a hummingbird attractant for its hardy qualities and self-seeding nature. ''Ipomosis rubra'' is also attractive for low water requirements.

References

rubra Flora of Northern America {{Polemoniaceae-stub