Yerba Mansa. Anemopsis californica, Lizard's - Tail Family ( Saururaceae ), Yerba Mansa. Also known as False Anemone, Lizard Tail. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Thanks to the alert observations of Bryan Lewis and Howard McBride, we were led to a beautiful outgrowth of this wonderful Arizona Native Plant. Yerba Mansa grows in the alkaline wetlands of Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Its family, the Saururaceae, has only one other member Saururus cernuus or "Lizard's Tail" which grows in the Eastern and Midwestern wetlands of the United States. So, if you want to find this plant a riparian area or a cienega would be the best place to look. Anemopsis californica produces long runners bearing new leaves and roots. A single plant can quickly spread to form a fragrant, leafy carpet. It's leaves are mostly in a radical cluster at the base of the stem; they are from 2 to 4 inches in length, one-half as broad, of a firm, leathery texture, smooth and entire; their outline is oblong, with a cordate base. The leaf-stalks are about the length of the leaf, dilated at the base, and pubescent along the margin. Its smell is a spicy fragrance resembling eucalyptus, juniper, and wild ginger. Native Americans used the leaves for herbal tea. It was named for the local Indians. They called it �Yerba del mansa,� which means �herb of the tamed Indians.� Thus its name. Quick Notes: Height: Up To About 18 inches tall. Flowers: The "flower" is actually a conical one inch cluster of very tiny yellow stamens and pistils hidden among bright white petal-like bracts or modified leaves. Flowering Time: May - June. Leaves: It's leaves are mostly in a radical cluster at the base of the stem; they are from 2 to 4 inches in length, one-half as broad, of a firm, leathery texture, smooth and entire; their outline is oblong, with a cordate base. Found: Native to the USA (AZ, CA, CO, KS, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, UT). Also found in northern Sonora, & Baja California, in Mexico. Hardiness: USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 �C (-15 �F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 �C (-10 �F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 �C (-5 �F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Sun to Partial Shade Light Shade Elevation: 800 - 4,800 Feet. Habitat: Usually riparian areas but it prefers salty, brackish, or alkaline environments such as a cienega. If you try to grow it in Arizona, it requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings. It is more suitable for bogs and water gardens. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken May 18, 2006 In Gilbert, Arizona, in a riparian preserve.

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