Tragia nepetifolia

Wiggins 1964, Kearney and Peebles 1969

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Perennial forb, stems slender, often twining, herbage with stinging hairs, erect or reclining. Leaves: Alternate, serrate, lanceolate to trianguar-ovate less than 10-40 mm long. Flowers: Monoecious flowers borne in terminal or lateral bracteate racemes staminate flowers above, 2 to many, pistillate flowers below, 1 to 2, sepals 6; styles papillose. Fruits: Capsule 3-seeded, 5-6 mm in diameter. Ecology: Found in canyons, hillsides, and valley floors; 2,500-7,000 ft (762-2134 m); flowers March-November. Distribution: AZ, NM; south to s MEX. Notes: One recognized variety in Arizona, var. dissecta. Difficult to distinguish from T. ramosa, which has fewer flowers per raceme (2-4), smooth style, and 4 or 5 stamens. Ethnobotany: Plant used as a lotion to keep snakes away by the Navajo, while the Ramah Navajo used the plant as a life medicine. The Kayenta Navajo sprinkle the plant on the Hogan during rain storms for protection from lightning. Etymology: Tragia is the Latin name of Hieronymus Bock (1498-1554) a German herbalist, while nepetifolia means leaves like catnip. Synonyms: None Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015