James' Frankenia

Frankenia jamesii is a short, rounded shrub, 15–50 centimeters in height. The stems are covered in hairs that are either backwards facing or stand-outwards from them. The stems are branched.

Its leaves are quite small and narrow, only 1.5–8.5 millimeters long and 0.5–1 millimeter wide. They are narrow, almost grass like (linear leaves) to having a slightly egg-like shape with the widest portion towards the base (narrow ovate leaves). Usually they are attached directly to the stem or only have a very short leaf stem (petiole) attaching it to the main stem. The leaves are yellow-green with a gray cast. The edges of the leaves are strongly rolled downward (revolute leaf). The lower surface of the leaves is almost entirely concealed by the tight roll of the leaves while the upper surface is either smooth in texture or only having a few scattered hairs. The leaves are in pairs on opposite sides of the stems.

Flowers. The flowers are found in axils of leaf buds at the end of the stem branches and are attached directly to the main stem. The flower petals are white and broader near the tip than towards the base. Usually the flowers will have five petals, but will sometimes have four or six. Each petal is quite small, just 5–12 millimeters. Behind the petals the calyx (sepals) is 4.5–7.3 millimeters with a typical five lobes, though occasionally just four. …

Pearly mockheather is only found in three western US states, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Within those states it is found in the southern counties of Colorado, in four counties in central New Mexico, and just two counties in the far west of Texas near El Paso. Mockheather is noted for growing in soils containing large amounts of gypsum and even in gypsum sands such as those found in White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Though it is not exclusively found on such soils. It is also found on sand dunes, sandy soils, silty soils, and alkaline shales. They are also a salt tolerant species of plant and a plant of secondary importance on salt or alkali flats. It is found at elevations from 1100 to 2000 meters.

Conservation. NatureServe evaluated Frankenia jamesii as apparently secure at a global level (G4) and in the state of New Mexico (S4) in 1989. They did not evaluate the populations of either Texas or Colorado. When the beetle Mediterranean tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda elongata) was released in North America to control invasive tamarisk trees there was fear that it would attack Frankenia species. Field research in 2003 found no damage to F. jamesii plants.

Pearly mockheather is occasionally recommended as a drought hardy rock garden plant.

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