Flora of North America species comparison

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Bernardia

Bernardia obovata

myrtlecroton, oreja de raton

desert myrtlecroton
Habit Shrubs [herbs or subshrubs], dioecious [monoecious]; hairs stellate [unbranched or absent]; latex absent. Shrubs to 0.8 m. Leaves: stipules caducous, green to straw colored, not thickened, without dark resinous exudate; petiole 0.5–3(–4) mm; blade usually obovate to cuneate, rarely broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, 0.6–3 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins flat, crenate-serrate, laminar glands 1(–2), abaxial surface green, sparsely spreading stellate-pubescent, adaxial surface green, sparsely stellate-pubescent to glabrate; veins not prominent abaxially, ± level with surface.
Leaves

persistent, alternate, simple;

stipules present, persistent or caducous;

petiole present [absent], glands absent;

blade unlobed, margins coarsely crenate to crenate-serrate [serrate or entire], laminar glands usually abaxial, proximal, crateriform, occasionally absent on some leaves [absent];

venation pinnate (with strong secondary veins ascending from base).

Inflorescences

unisexual, axillary, often on short, lateral shoots;

staminate spicate thyrses, pistillate flowers solitary [terminal spikes];

glands subtending bracts 0.

staminate thyrses 5–10 mm.
Pedicels

staminate present, pistillate absent [present].

Staminate flowers

sepals 3(–4), valvate, distinct;

petals 0;

nectary intrastaminal, 1 to several glands;

stamens 3–15(–20)[–50], ± straight in bud, distinct;

pistillode absent.

stamens 3–4(–6), nectary glands claviform.
Pistillate flowers

sepals 3–5, distinct;

petals 0;

nectary absent [present];

pistil 2–3-carpellate;

styles 2–3, distinct, 2-fid, branches flattened, adaxial surface stigmatic.

pistil 2-carpellate;

styles 2, irregularly dissected adaxially.
Fruits

capsules.

Capsules

5 mm, 2-lobed.
Seeds

subglobose;

caruncle absent.

x

= 13.

Bernardia

Bernardia obovata
Phenology Flowering spring; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Canyon washes in high desert scrub.
Elevation 800–1900 m. (2600–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
sw United States; sc United States; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species ca. 70 (3 in the flora).

The species that occur in the flora area are distinct from most species of the genus in being shrubs with relatively small leaves and stellate vestiture; most Bernardia species are perennial herbs or subshrubs. The rounded shrubs native to the flora area grow well in cultivation and would make attractive native borders within their range.

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

Bernardia obovata is a Chihuahuan Desert endemic occurring in the flora area only from the trans-Pecos of west Texas to the San Andres Mountains of southern New Mexico (K. W. Allred 2002b). The bicarpellate pistil is apparently unique within Bernardia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces green, sparsely spreading stellate-pubescent, veins not prominent abaxially; pistils 2-carpellate.
B. obovata
1. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces grayish white, densely appressed and/or spreading stellate-pubescent, veins prominent abaxially; pistils 3-carpellate.
→ 2
2. Stipules persistent, yellowish brown to black, bases thickened, with dark resinous exudate; stamens (3–)5–7.
B. incana
2. Stipules caducous, green to straw colored, bases not thickened, without dark resinous exudate; stamens (10–)12–15(–20).
B. myricifolia
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 182. Author: Mark H. Mayfield. FNA vol. 12, p. 184.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae > Bernardia
Sibling taxa
B. incana, B. myricifolia
Subordinate taxa
B. incana, B. myricifolia, B. obovata
Name authority Houstoun ex Miller: Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4, vol. 1. (1754) I. M. Johnston: J. Arnold Arbor. 21: 261. (1940)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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