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DiQuilio, Carol
Tiquilia greggii
Tiquilia greggii (Torr. & A. Gray) A.T. Richardson
Plumed Crinklemat, Plume Tiquilia, Plume Coldenia, Gregg Coldenia, Hierba Del Cenizo
Boraginaceae (Borage Family)
Synonym(s): Coldenia greggii, Ptilocalyx greggii
USDA Symbol: tigr
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A small, round, gray shrub with many twigs bearing funnel-shaped, pink or reddish-lavender flowers in small, feathery clusters.
The feathery calyx, surrounding and carrying the tiny, one-seeded fruit, is blown by the wind. This plant was once placed in the genus Coldenia, a genus now realized to be restricted to the Eastern Hemisphere; Western Hemisphere plants form the genus Tiquilia. Shrubby Tiquilia (T. canescens), a tufted or matted plant with pale lavender or whitish flowers, is found in southern California east to Texas and south to northern Mexico.
The species name “greggii” was named for Josiah Gregg, (1806-1850). He was born in Overton County, Tennessee. In the summer of 1841 and again in the winter of 1841-42 he traveled through Texas, up the Red River valley, and later from Galveston to Austin and by way of Nacogdoches to Arkansas. He took note of Texas geology, trees, prevalent attitudes, and politics. At the same time, Gregg began compiling his travel notes into a readable manuscript. His “Commerce of the Prairies”, which came out in two volumes in 1844, was an immediate success. In 1848 he joined a botanical expedition to western Mexico and California, during which he corresponded with and sent specimens to the eminent botanist George Engelman in St. Louis. Subsequently, the American Botanical Society added the Latin name “greggii” in his honor to twenty-three species of plants. Gregg died on February 25, 1850, as a result of a fall from his horse.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Schizocarp
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.
Flower: Flower 1 inch.
Fruit: Nutlets.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Red , Pink , PurpleBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct
Distribution
USA: NM , TXNative Distribution: Southern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: High elevation, Ditches, Ravines, Depressions, Hillsides, Slopes
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Calcareous, Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam Clay Caliche type
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Attractive, Showy, Border, Desert landscape, Rock gardens, Blooms ornamentalUse Wildlife: Nectar-insects, Fruit-rodents, Fruit-mammals
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Bibliography
Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. WasowskiBibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona ChapterWebref 1 - Texas Native Shrubs (2002) Texas A&M University Agriculture Program and Leslie Finical, Dallas Arboretum
Additional resources
USDA: Find Tiquilia greggii in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Tiquilia greggii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Tiquilia greggii
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-28Research By: TWC Staff