Page 59 - Walks In The Black Range, Vol. 4

5. Dieteria bigelovii, Bigelow's Tansyaster, and Clematis ligusticifolia, Virgin’s Bower, were growing near where the walk started up the stream bed. The Clematis is one of two species in that genus which are sometimes found in the Black Range, the other being Clematis columbiana, Columbian Virgin’s Bower, which we have found in Railroad Canyon.
6. Mirabilis longiflora, Sweet Four O’clock (directly below) was growing in the stream bed, somehow holding on between the scouring floods which commence with the rains.
The flowers of this species typically open late in the afternoon and as a night blooming plant attract large hummingbird moths. The seeds of this species are poisonous.
Some authorities will separate out the plant that we have here as a distinct subspecies, M. l. wrightiana. The range of the Sweet Four O'Clock is restricted to central Mexico and the southwestern United States. If you are inclined to recognize the existence of subspecies in this plant then the nominate form is found in central Mexico and M. l. wrightiana is found farther north. The range within the United States is restricted to southwestern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and the Big Bend region of Texas.
M. l. wrightiana was noted as M. wrightiana in 1894, in the Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences - see right - by Britton and Kearney. Their initial comments on the specimen are shown as well.
3. Grandview Trail.