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desert silverbush

Habit Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, monoecious, to 10 dm.
Stems

erect, hairy, hairs simple and malpighiaceous.

Leaves

stipules persistent, elliptic, lanceolate, or subulate, sometimes divided in 2 unequal segments, 1.7–2.5 mm, margins with conic glands;

petiole 2–6 mm;

blade elliptic, 0.8–1.9 × 0.4–1.2 cm, margins serrate, with conic glands, surfaces hairy, hairs simple and malpighiaceous.

Inflorescences

bisexual, to 0.5 cm;

bracts ovate, 2–3 mm, margins with conic glands.

Flowers

without pink dye when wetted.

Staminate flowers

sepals lanceolate, 2.5–3.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

petals elliptic, 3–4 × 0.8–1.2 mm, adnate to androphore;

nectary glands narrowly elliptic, oblong, or ovate, 0.3–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm, free from androphore, glabrous;

stamens 10, staminodes 3–5, glabrous.

Pistillate flowers

sepals lanceolate to ovate, 2.5–4.5 × 0.8–1.3 mm, margins with conic glands;

petals 5, elliptic, 2–3 × 0.7–1.2 mm, margins with glandular teeth;

petals elliptic, 2–3 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

nectary glands ovate to linear, 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm, glabrous;

ovary hispidulous;

styles 1–2 mm, glabrous;

stigmas flattened.

Capsules

3–4.5 mm, hispidulous.

Seeds

2.5–3 mm, with shallow depressions, lightly striate.

Argythamnia claryana

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr and Oct–Nov.
Habitat Desert scrub, rocky soils, basaltic hills.
Elevation 60–900 m. (200–3000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Argythamnia claryana is known with certainty only from very arid regions of southeastern California and southwestern Arizona but also is expected in Baja California. I. L. Wiggins (1980) reported A. adenophora from northeastern Baja California, but considering that these two species are very similar and that Wiggins (in F. Shreve and Wiggins 1964) previously treated A. claryana as a synonym of A. adenophora, it is quite possible that this report actually refers to A. claryana. Unfortunately, voucher specimens that confirm the occurrence of either of these species in Baja California have not been found. Reports from Nevada appear to be based on misidentified specimens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 176.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Argythamnia
Sibling taxa
A. adenophora, A. aphoroides, A. argothamnoides, A. argyraea, A. brandegeei, A. cyanophylla, A. humilis, A. lanceolata, A. mercurialina, A. serrata, A. simulans
Synonyms Ditaxis claryana
Name authority Jepson: Fl. Calif. 2: 419. (1936) — (as clariana)
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