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desert silverbush

bruise leaf, Charleston Mountain silverbush

Habit Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, monoecious, to 10 dm. Herbs, perennial, monoecious, to 2.5 dm.
Stems

erect, hairy, hairs simple and malpighiaceous.

erect, sparsely hairy, hairs 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.

stipules apparently persistent, punctiform, minute, margins glandular;

petiole absent;

blade elliptic, obovate, or linear, 1–5 × 0.5–2.2 cm, margins entire, without glands, surfaces sparsely hairy, hairs malpighiaceous.

Inflorescences

bisexual, to 0.5 cm;

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

unisexual or bisexual, to 4 cm;

bracts ovate to lanceolate, to 1.5 mm, margins without glands.

Flowers

without pink dye when wetted.

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.

sepals lanceolate, 3.5–7 × 1–1.3 mm;

petals spatulate to obovate, 3–5 × 1.5 mm, adnate to androphore;

nectary glands elliptic, 0.3 × 0.2 mm, adnate to androphore, glabrous;

stamens (7–)10, staminodes 0 or rudimentary.

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.

sepals lanceolate to ovate, 3.5–7 × 1.5–2.2 mm, without glands;

petals 5, obovate to spatulate, 2.8–3.5 × 0.7–2.8 mm;

nectary glands obovate, 0.5 × 0.7 mm, glabrous;

ovary sericeous;

styles 1.6–2 mm, glabrous;

stigmas flattened.

Capsules

3–4.5 mm, hispidulous.

3–5.5 mm, with scattered adpressed malpighiaceous hairs.

Seeds

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

3.5–4 mm, smooth, maculate.

Argythamnia claryana

Argythamnia cyanophylla

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr and Oct–Nov. Flowering Mar–Jun and Aug–Oct.
Habitat Desert scrub, rocky soils, basaltic hills. Scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands, limestone-derived, rocky soils, damp zones near lakes.
Elevation 60–900 m. (200–3000 ft.) 2000–2600 m. (6600–8500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; NV
[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.)

Argythamnia cyanophylla is found from southern Nevada across northern Arizona to central New Mexico.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 176. FNA vol. 12, p. 176.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Argythamnia 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
A. adenophora, A. aphoroides, A. argothamnoides, A. argyraea, A. brandegeei, A. claryana, A. humilis, A. lanceolata, A. mercurialina, A. serrata, A. simulans
Synonyms Ditaxis claryana Ditaxis cyanophylla, D. diversiflora
Name authority Jepson: Fl. Calif. 2: 419. (1936) — (as clariana) (Wooton & Standley) J. W. Ingram: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 80: 423. (1953)
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