Name that Fruit!

Photo by Matt Ball 11/18/2015
Anne Green Thumb 

I took my Honey-Matt out for a hike and made him stop for fruits. (Remember: the fruit is the thing with the seed(s). A fruit doesn't always look like an apple.)
This spiky ball in front is the fruit of Range Ratany (Krameria erecta). Those magenta 'petals' on the flower in back are actually the sepals (hold flower on stem); the flower itself is really small (as you can see by comparing it to my gigantic thumb). This plant is a hemi-parasite, i.e., it can photosynthesize, but it taps into the roots of other plants to siphon off water and nutrients. Very sneaky. Because it grows low and under other plants, look carefully for it. And check out those cool fruits.