Epixiphium wislizeni, commonly known as baloonbush, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. It is the sole species in genus Epixiphium. It is a scrambling or climbing perennial subshrub native to Chihuahua state in northern Mexico and the south western United States (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas) where it grows in sand dunes.[1] It has tubular flowers in shades of blue to violet and white and more-or-less triangular untoothed leaves.

The species was first described in 1859 as Maurandya wislizeni. In 1926 Philip A. Munz placed it in a separate genus as Epixiphium wislizeni.[2][1] The species epithet wislizeni commemorates Friedrich Adolph Wislizenus. It is regularly misspelt "wislizenii".

Growing in sand dunes

References

  1. ^ a b c Epixiphium wislizeni (Engelm. ex A.Gray) Munz. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  2. ^ Elisens, Wayne J. (1985), "Monograph of the Maurandyinae (Scrophulariaceae-Antirrhineae)", Systematic Botany Monographs, 5: 1–97, doi:10.2307/25027602, JSTOR 25027602