Red-Purple >
Purple Mat
Nama demissum
Rose to magenta-purplish flowers, sometimes many tiny tubular flowers growing low, 1-2" from the ground with longer stems to about 8".
Found in sandy wash and creosote scrub areas. Common throughout the Mojave Desert below 4,000'.
Flowers - April to May
Waterleaf Family (Hydrophyllaceae)
Desert Habitat:
Native American uses: Indians would grind the seeds and cook them for use as a mush.
References:
A Flower Watcher's Guide - Milt Stark
Desert Wildflowers - Philip A. Munz
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - Pam MacKay
The Jepson Desert Manual
Purple Mat photo taken at Joshua Tree National Park