General: Giant Four O'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) is a perennial forb with large fleshy leaves and large, funnel-shaped purple flowers that look out of place in an arid desert.

The inflorescence is composed of a hood-like or bell-shaped involucre that arises from the leaf axils (1 per upper axil). Each involucre holds 6 funnel-shaped, magenta flowers to about 2-1/2 inches diameter. Fruits develop inside and attached to the involucre. Fruit is football-shaped, to 11 mm long, often with 10 lines or low ribs.

Giant Four O'clock is an uncommon component of vegetation communities in dry, well-drained gravelly areas on bajadas into the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) and Transition (Yellow Pine Forest) life zones.

Around Las Vegas, look for Giant Four O'clock at Red Rock Canyon NCA, Mojave National Preserve, Gold Butte National Monument, and the Desert NWR.

Family: Four O'Clock (Nyctaginaceae). Also called Colorado Four O'clock