 DESCRIPTION:
Shrub to 1.5'. Branches gray. Stems are spineless but taper to a sharp
point. Leaves are inconspicuous, simple, smooth-edged to lobed, narrow,
grayish-green, haired to 1/2" long. Flowers bloom April - Oct. and
are violet, with 5 petals. Fruit is fuzzy greenish-white ball with barbed
spines. Range Ratany has barbs along the spines of the fruit whereas White
Ratany (K. grayi) has barbs only at tip of fruit spines. Krameriaceae
(Ratany) Family.
NATURAL HISTORY: Ratany photosynthesize, but they also parasitize the
roots of other plants (esp. Triangleaf Bursage
and Creosote Bush) (partial
parasite). Ratany offer their bee pollinators oil instead of nectar.
The oil bees (Centris) acquire nectar from other plants, but scrape
off the oil from ratany to combine with pollen from other plants to feed
their larvae. |
