Our crushed-rock parking area has killed the various ground covers we
tried to plant there, too dry or too much traffic or something else.
But now a volunteer ground cover is spreading. It's low to the ground,
seems not to want any water in our long, dry summer, puts up with foot
traffic and car traffic, and is comfortable under bare feet.

So of course it's probably an invasive weed that I'm supposed to be
eradicating furiously, right?

http://www.phred.org/~josh/PLANT_1.JPG is one whole plant.
http://www.phred.org/~josh/PLANT_2.JPG is a closer view.

For scale, it's on crushed rock, mostly 3/8" to 1/2".

Can you tell me what this is? Is it officially noxious, dangerous,
undesirable? If I let it spread across the gravel, what will it do when
it hits the lawn?

Thanks for any information!

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Updated Infrared Photography Gallery:
http://www.phred.org/~josh/photo/ir.html