Data from: Muilla lordsburgana (Asparagaceae: Brodiaeoideae), a new species found north of Lordsburg, southwestern New Mexico

Muilla lordsburgana P.J.Alexander sp. nov. is described from eastern
Lordsburg Mesa in the northwestern fringe of the Chihuahuan Desert,
southwestern New Mexico. It is very similar to Muilla coronata, a species
known in the Mojave Desert of California and a small area of adjacent
Nevada. Compared to Muilla coronata, the style and stigma combined are
longer, the anthers are longer, the fruits are larger, and the seeds are
larger. It has a short flowering period in March, and is difficult or
impossible to find at other times of the year. It is narrowly distributed,
limited to a band of deep, coarse, sandy soils derived primarily from
granite. Several species that are otherwise uncommon in the area also
occur in this habitat, ­­­­­including Logfia depressa, Pectocarya
platycarpa, and Plagiobothrys arizonicus. Invasive species, especially
Erodium cicutarium in the winter annual flora, are generally dominant.
Muillla lordsburgana has probably been overlooked until now because it is
not easy to observe and occurs in habitats that are not attractive to
botanists.