Greenleaf Five Eyes, Green False Nightshade,Chamaesaracha coronopus,Nightshade Family (Solanaceae)

The Bloom Blog
Blooming this week in the environs of Abiquiú
By Wildflowers of the Southern Rocky Mountains

Found in dry, sandy areas, roadsides
Seen blooming in June by Hwy 554 near the Forest Service sign

Very big names for a plant growing only a few inches high. Greenleaf Five Eyes is a member of the Nightshade family which includes tomatillos and tomatoes and which the flowers strongly resemble. It can grow to 18 inches high with long, narrow, lobed leaves. Flowers are greenish-white with five fused petals and five stamens, about ½ inch across. There are five hairy pillow-like bumps in the center which are presumably the ‘five eyes’. The fruit matures to a whitish berry about ¼ inch across. Chama in the scientific name comes from the Greek word for false. The name Chama, as in the Rio Chama, comes from an Indian pueblo called Tsama near Abiquiu along the north side of the river near its confluence with the El Rito creek. In the Tewa language, Tsama is defined as “wrestling place” or “fighting around place”. Source. The Navajo used the plant for swellings and in cases of drowning. Source.

If you are trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flowers bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website, send a photo and where you took it to [email protected]. Read online for tips.