Flora of North America species comparison

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Bernardia incana

Bernardia myricifolia

western bernardia

mouse's eye, southwest bernardia
Habit Shrubs to 1.5 m. Leaves: stipules persistent, yellowish brown to black, base thickened, with dark resinous exudate; petiole 1.5–2.5(–3.4) mm; blade usually broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, rarely cuneate, 0.8–2.5 × 0.3–1.1 cm, margins revolute, crenate, laminar glands (0–)2–4(–6), abaxial surface grayish white, densely appressed stellate-pubescent, adaxial surface green, glabrate; veins prominent abaxially. Shrubs to 3 m. Leaves: stipules caducous, green to straw colored, base not thickened, without dark resinous exudate; petiole 0.5–2(–2.2) mm; blade broadly elliptic to orbiculate, 1.5–4.5 × 1–2.5 cm, margins revolute, crenate, laminar glands (0–)2–4(–6), abaxial surface grayish white, densely spreading and/or appressed stellate-pubescent, adaxial surface green, glabrate; veins prominent abaxially.
Inflorescences

staminate thyrses 5–20 mm.

staminate thyrses 5–15 mm.
Staminate flowers

stamens (3–)5–7, nectary glands peltiform.

stamens (10–)12–15(–20), nectary glands claviform.
Pistillate flowers

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles 3, lobulate adaxially.

pistil 3-carpellate;

styles 3, densely penicillate adaxially.
Capsules

6 mm, 3-lobed.

7–8 mm, 3-lobed.

Bernardia incana

Bernardia myricifolia
Phenology Flowering spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall. Flowering spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Protected slopes in desert canyon washes. Shrub communities on rocky limestone hills in oak-juniper woodlands, thornscrub.
Elevation 700–1600 m. (2300–5200 ft.) 100–1300 m. (300–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

As indicated by V. W. Steinmann and R. S. Felger (1997), Bernardia incana is readily distinguished from B. myricifolia, with which it has often been merged (for example, G. L. Webster 1993b), by its dark persistent stipules that are thickened by a dried, resinous exudate. Within the flora area, B. incana occupies a mostly montane Sonoran Desert range in southern Arizona and California (extending just into the southern Mojave Desert), with outlying populations in the Grand Canyon. No specimens have been located to document a reported distribution in Nevada, but it is present to within a few miles of the border along the Grand Wash Cliffs in Arizona.

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

In the flora area, Bernardia myricifolia is known from southern Texas, with a single outlying collection from Brewster County [H. B Parks 1724 (MO); B. L. Turner et al. 2003]. Reports of B. myricifolia from Arizona and California are based on plants identified here as B. incana. Reports of B. myricifolia from New Mexico are based on specimens of B. obovata. In Mexico, B. myricifolia is most abundant in thornscrub in the northeast to montane areas of the Chihuahuan Desert.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 183. FNA vol. 12, p. 183.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Bernardia Euphorbiaceae > Bernardia
Sibling taxa
B. myricifolia, B. obovata
B. incana, B. obovata
Synonyms Tyria myricifolia
Name authority C. V. Morton: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 29: 376. (1939) (Scheele) S. Watson: in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 2: 70. (1880) — (as myricaefolia)
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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