Krameria grayi

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Krameria grayi

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Zygophyllales
Family:	Krameriaceae
Genus:	Krameria
Species:	K. grayi

Binomial name

Krameria grayi
Rose & Painter

Krameria grayi is a perennial shrub or subshrub of the family Krameriaceae, the Rhatanies. It is commonly known as White Ratany, Chacate (or kosawui in the state of sonora) in spanish, and Crimson-Beak and is found in drier environments of the southwestern United States from California to Texas, and in northern Mexico.

It is a low lying, densely branched shrub, commonly up to 2 feet (1 m), but exceptionally to beyond 5.0 feet (2 m). It is spiny in form for the branches, but the spines-(the actual branches) are not sharp nor firm on the tips; leaves are grey green to greenish, finely-haired, narrow and only 0.5 to 0.75 in long.

The color of the plant and branches is grayish-green to gray, or whitish-gray, to dull browns; also tingeing to deep maroon-reds. The flowers are not always conspicuous, (noticeable), often sparse, reddish, or maroon-reddish, but plants in some locales-(a protected wash for example), can be up to 6.5 feet (2 m) and massive and conspicuous in flower output-(riparian southern Lower Colorado River Valley).

White Ratany prefers dry, desert environments, but is also advantageous to water, or soil moisture and is found up to 1,524 metres (5,000 ft) (sunlit slopes); the plant is partially parasitic, for example on creosote bush, Larrea tridentata.