Argythamnia argyraea
Argythamnia adenophora
silky silverbush, silvery wild-Mercury
glandular silverbush
erect, densely hairy, hairs silvery, malpighiaceous.
erect, usually hairy, hairs simple.
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.
stipules usually persistent, elliptic to ovate, frequently divided in 2 unequal segments, 1–8 mm, margins with tack-shaped glands;
petiole 4–15 mm, with tack-shaped glands;
blade elliptic, 1.5–6.5 × 0.7–1.8 cm, margins glandular-serrulate, with tack-shaped glands, surfaces usually hairy, hairs simple.
unisexual, pistillate 0.5–1 cm, flowers solitary, staminate 1–2 cm;
bracts ovate to elliptic, 0.4–0.5 mm, margins without glands.
bisexual, 0.9–1.8 cm;
bracts elliptic to lanceolate, to 7 mm, margins with tack-shaped glands.
usually releasing pink dye when wetted.
without pink dye when wetted.
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 lanceolate, 3–4 × 0.4–1.2 mm;
petals elliptic to obovate, 4–7 × 1.4–1.8 mm, adnate to androphore;
nectary glands ovate, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3 mm, adnate to androphore, glabrous;
stamens 10, staminodes 3–5, glabrous.
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.
sepals ovate, 4–6.5 × 1.4–2.1 mm, with tack-shaped glands;
petals 5, elliptic, 4–6 × 1.3–2.1 mm;
nectary glands ovate, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.6 mm, glabrous;
ovary hispidulous, hairs malpighiaceous;
styles 1.5–2.5 mm, pilose;
stigmas flattened.
4–5 mm, hairs adpressed, short, silvery.
4–4.7 mm, hispidulous, long and short malpighiaceous hairs mixed.
2.3–2.5 mm, finely papillate.
3–3.3 mm, with shallow depressions and sometimes also striate.
Argythamnia argyraea
Argythamnia adenophora
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.)
Argythamnia adenophora is closely related to A. claryana and they sometimes have been treated as a single species (F. Shreve and I. L. Wiggins 1964, vol. 1). Argythamnia claryana has malpighiaceous hairs throughout the plant and non-stipitate, conic glands along the margins of the leaves, stipules, and pistillate sepals. In contrast, A. adenophora has malpighiaceous hairs exclusively on the ovaries and capsules and simple hairs elsewhere, and the marginal glands on the leaves, stipules, and pistillate sepals are clearly stipitate and tack-shaped. In the flora area, A. adenophora is found in southwestern Arizona.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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