Although the Monkeyflower is usually thought of as moisture-loving, there are a number of desert species. The flowers are quite easy to recognize, as they closely resemble the Monkeyflowers which grow in the moist places surrounding seeps and springs, and they also are somewhat similar in appearance to their close relatives the Snapdragons and Pentstemons. The desert species are well worthy of consideration for cultivation as garden ornamentals. PURPLE [Illustration: Nama demissum] Common names: PURPLEMAT, PURPLE ROLL-LEAF Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Nama demissum_). Red-purple. March-May. Waterleaf family. Size: Tiny plant, an inch or so high. Although the plants are very small, they grow close together and the blossoms are often quite large in comparison. The reddish-purple color of the flowers stands out in sharp contrast to the green of spring vegetation so that a widespread growth of the plants forms patches or mats of colorful desert carpeting. Masses of the plants are usually found on open flats, often among Creosotebush, and on either clay or sandy soils. In dry years, growth is restricted and a tiny plant may bear but a single flower, the blossom sometimes almost as large as the rest of the plant. PURPLE [Illustration: Boerhaavia caribaea] Common names: SPIDERLING, WEST INDIAN BOERHAAVIA Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Boerhaavia caribaea_). Red-purple. May-September. Four-o’clock family. Size: Trailing stems up to 4 feet in length. A common roadside perennial, Spiderling becomes an annoying garden weed when it invades open fields and areas of cultivation. Its trailing stems and sticky foliage interfere with tillage. The flowers are small but numerous and grow in attractive, colorful clusters. This species is widely distributed, not only throughout the deserts of the Southwest, but also in tropical and subtropical America. In addition to _B. caribaea_, other species of _Boerhaavia_ are widespread throughout areas of the Southwest below 5,500 feet elevations. The plants usually grow where they are exposed to full sunlight, although sometimes found in open brushlands, and reach full flower in late summer and autumn months. PURPLE [Illustration: Orthocarpus purpurascens] Common names: OWLCLOVER, (_ESCOBITA_) Arizona and California deserts: (_Orthocarpus purpurascens_). Red-purple. March-May. Figwort family. Size: 4 to 8 inches high.