Frankenia jamesii, known by the common names of pearly mockheather and James's sea heath, is a low growing shrub from the south-central United states from southern Colorado to the far western end of Texas.

The seeds are largely egg shaped with a strong conic point and 2–3 millimeters in size.

[2] Frankenia jamesii was scientifically described and named by the botanist Asa Gray using information from John Torrey in 1873.

[4] Gray said the specimens he examined to describe the species were collected from near Pueblo in the Colorado Territory by Edward Lee Greene.

[5] It had also been collected by Charles Wright in 1849 during an expedition to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

[2] Pearly mockheather is only found in three western US states, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

[2] NatureServe evaluated Frankenia jamesii as apparently secure at a global level (G4) and in the state of New Mexico (S4) in 1989.

[15] Pearly mockheather is occasionally recommended as a drought hardy rock garden plant.