Argythamnia
Argythamnia argyraea
silverbush, wild-Mercury
silky silverbush, silvery wild-Mercury
erect, densely hairy, hairs silvery, malpighiaceous.
drought deciduous or persistent, alternate, simple;
stipules present, persistent or deciduous;
petiole absent or present, glands usually absent (tack-shaped glands along length in A. adenophora);
blade unlobed, margins entire or serrate-dentate, laminar glands absent;
venation palmate (3- or 5-veined), secondary veins arcuate, not closely spaced.
stipules deciduous, oblanceolate or obovate to ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm, margins not glandular;
petiole 1–3 mm;
blade elliptic to ovate, 0.9–4 × 0.4–0.8 cm, margins entire, without glands, surfaces densely hairy, hairs silvery, malpighiaceous.
unisexual or bisexual (pistillate flowers proximal, staminate distal), axillary, racemes;
glands subtending each bract 0.
unisexual, pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers solitary, staminate 1–2 cm;
bracts ovate to elliptic, 0.4–0.5 mm, margins without glands.
present.
usually releasing pink dye when wetted.
sepals [4–]5, valvate, distinct;
petals [4–]5, distinct, free or adnate to androphore, white, sometimes pale yellow-green or pale purple proximally;
nectary extrastaminal, [4–]5 glands;
stamens [4–](7–)10[–12] in [1–]2 whorls, connate proximally forming androphore;
staminodes 0–5, at apex of androphore;
pistillode absent.
sepals linear to lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.3–2 mm;
petals linear-lanceolate, 3–5 × 0.5–0.6 mm, free from androphore;
nectary glands ovate, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1 mm, free from androphore, glabrous;
stamens 10, staminodes 5, punctiform, glabrous.
sepals 5, distinct;
petals usually 5, sometimes rudimentary or 0, distinct, white, sometimes pale yellow-green or pale purple proximally;
nectary 5 glands;
pistil 3(–4)-carpellate;
styles 3, distinct or connate proximally, 2-fid, branches 6 per flower, [2 times 2-fid].
sepals elliptic, 3–4.3 × 0.8–2 mm, without glands;
petals 5, lanceolate to linear, 1.5–2 × 0.3–0.5 mm;
nectary glands oblong to linear, 0.8 × 0.5 mm, glabrous;
ovary hispidulous;
styles 1–1.7 mm, pilose;
stigmas flattened.
capsules, not muricate.
4–5 mm, hairs adpressed, short, silvery.
globose to ovoid;
caruncle absent [present].
2.3–2.5 mm, finely papillate.
Argythamnia
Argythamnia argyraea
Species ca. 80 (12 in the flora).
There has been controversy surrounding the taxonomic status of Argythamnia. Some authors have recognized Ditaxis, which includes all of the species in the flora area, at the generic level (G. L. Webster 1994b; A. Radcliffe-Smith 2001), whereas others have treated it as a subgenus of Argythamnia (J. W. Ingram 1980; R. McVaugh 1995). There are several morphological characters that distinguish these taxa and pollen morphology supports their generic recognition (W. Punt 1962). However, recent molecular phylogenetic studies demonstrate that recognizing Ditaxis makes Argythamnia paraphyletic (Y. Ramírez-Amezcua 2011), so they are treated here as a single genus.
Argythamnia heterantha (Zuccarini) Müller Arg., from Mexico, is cultivated; the seeds are used as a saffron substitute and represent a potential resource for dye, oil, and protein (M. D. Méndez-Robles et al. 2004).
M. C. Johnston (1990) reported Argythamnia astroplethos J. W. Ingram from the Chinati Mountains, Presidio County, Texas, but no specimens were cited and none have been located. This species grows nearby in Chihuahua, Mexico, and may eventually be documented from Texas. It belongs to subgenus Chiropetalum (A. Jussieu) J. W. Ingram and can be distinguished from other Argythamnia species in the flora area by its indumentum of stellate hairs in addition to malpighiaceous hairs, tetramerous staminate flowers, and styles that are twice 2-fid.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
There are very few collections of Argythamnia argyraea, which is endemic to south Texas in Kinney, La Salle, and Maverick counties. Plants of Argythamnia argyraea are usually dioecious, but William Mahler found that larger plants are occasionally monoecious (J. Poole, pers. comm.).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Glands present on margins of stipules, leaf blades, bracts, and pistillate sepals. | → 2 |
2. Stems and leaves with simple hairs; margins of stipules, leaf blades, bracts, and pistillate sepals with tack-shaped glands. | A. adenophora |
2. Stems and leaves with simple and malpighiaceous hairs; margins of stipules, leaf blades, bracts, and pistillate sepals with conic glands. | A. claryana |
1. Glands absent on margins of stipules, leaf blades, bracts, and pistillate sepals. | → 3 |
3. Petioles usually absent, rarely to 4 mm on proximal leaves. | → 4 |
4. Pistillate petals 5, 2.8–3.5 mm, obovate to spatulate; stipules punctiform. | A. cyanophylla |
4. Pistillate petals 0 or 5, 0–1.7 mm, elliptic, lanceolate, linear, or punctiform; stipules elliptic, ovate, subulate, or linear-lanceolate. | → 5 |
5. Nectary glands of pistillate flowers linear, of staminate flowers linear to obovate. | A. mercurialina |
5. Nectary glands of pistillate and staminate flowers ovate or oblong. | → 6 |
6. Stamens 10; staminate petals cuneate-elliptic to cuneate-obovate; ovary tomentose to lanulose. | A. aphoroides |
6. Stamens 7–8; staminate petals elliptic; ovary strigose to hispidulous. | A. simulans |
3. Petioles present, 1–18 mm. | → 7 |
7. Plants dioecious. | → 8 |
8. Flowers usually releasing pink dye when wetted; styles pilose; staminate nectary glands 0.1–0.2 × 0.1 mm; stems and leaves densely hairy, hairs silvery. | A. argyraea |
8. Flowers without pink dye when wetted; styles glabrous; staminate nectary glands 0.3–1 × 0.2–0.4 mm; stems and leaves hairy or glabrous, hairs silvery or not. | → 9 |
9. Staminate petals free from androphore; pistillate petals elliptic to filiform, 0.3–1.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm. | A. humilis |
9. Staminate petals adnate to androphore; pistillate petals elliptic, 1.8–3 × 0.7–1.4 mm. | A. lanceolata |
7. Plants monoecious. | → 10 |
10. Staminate petals adnate to androphore. | → 11 |
11. Inflorescences 1.5–5.5 cm; staminate sepals 4–6 × 0.8–1 mm; staminate petals 5–7 × 1.2–2.5 mm; pistillate petals 5–6 × 1.5–1.6 mm; petioles 7–18 mm. | A. brandegeei |
11. Inflorescences 0.4–1.3 cm; staminate sepals 2–3 × 0.5–0.8 mm; staminate petals 2.1–3.4 × 0.7–1.2 mm; pistillate petals 1.5–3 × 0.6–1.4 mm; petioles 1–5 mm. | → 12 |
12. Stigmas terete or slightly flattened; pistillate petals 1.5–1.8 × 0.6–1 mm; Florida. | A. argothamnoides |
12. Stigmas flattened; pistillate petals 1.8–3 × 0.7–1.4 mm; Arizona, California. | A. lanceolata |
10. Staminate petals free from androphore. | → 13 |
13. Stigmas terete; staminate sepals 0.9–2.5 mm. | A. serrata |
13. Stigmas flattened; staminate sepals 2–5 mm. | → 14 |
14. Flowers usually releasing pink dye when wetted; staminate nectary glands ovate, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1 mm. | A. argyraea |
14. Flowers not releasing pink dye when wetted; staminate nectary glands ovate to linear, 0.4–0.8 × 0.2–0.3 mm. | A. humilis |
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