Boerhavia diffusa
Boerhavia coulteri
red spiderling, spreading hogweed
Coulter's spiderling
decumbent, ascending, or erect, usually profusely branched throughout, 3–10 dm, glabrous or minutely pubescent basally, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally.
erect to decumbent-ascending, sparingly to profusely branched throughout, 2–8(–15) dm, usually minutely puberulent, often also with long, spreading hairs, occasionally also glandular basally, glabrous distally.
mostly in basal 1/2 of plant;
larger leaves with petiole 10–30 mm, blade broadly lanceolate, ovate, or broadly ovate, occasionally ± round, 20–60 × 15–50 mm (distal leaves smaller, often proportionally narrower), base truncate, broadly cuneate, round, or shallowly cordate, often oblique, margins sinuate, apex obtuse to round, abaxial surface paler than adaxial, glabrous or minutely puberulent, sometimes glandular, usually with few large multicellular hairs on veins, adaxial surface glabrous, rarely sparsely puberulent, neither surface punctate.
mostly in basal 1/2;
larger leaves with petiole 5–30 mm, blade lanceolate, ovate, oval, deltate-ovate, or narrowly deltate, 10–50 × 6–32 mm (distal leaves usually shorter, proportionately narrower), adaxial surface usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hirtellous, abaxial surface paler than adaxial, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely puberulent or with few coarse hairs, usually neither surface punctate, base acute, obtuse, or round, margins sinuate, often crisped, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.
terminal, forked ca. 3–6 times ± equally, diffuse, occasionally with sticky internodal bands;
branches divergent, terminating in compact subumbellate or capitate, 2–5-flowered clusters.
terminal and axillary, forked ca. 2–5 times unevenly, usually with sticky internodal bands;
branches strongly ascending, terminating in spicate or racemose flower clusters, axis 15–60 mm.
pedicel shorter than 0.5 mm;
bract at base of perianth quickly deciduous, 1, lanceolate, 0.8–1 mm;
perianth purplish red to reddish pink or nearly white, campanulate beyond constriction, 1–1.5 mm;
stamens 2–3, included or barely exserted.
pedicel 0.1–1.6 mm;
bracts at base of perianth soon deciduous, 1–2, usually lanceolate, lance-acuminate, or linear-lanceolate, rarely ovate, 0.4–1 mm;
perianth white to pale pink, campanulate distal to constriction, 0.7–2 mm;
stamens (1–)2–3(–4), included or slightly exserted.
(1–)2–5(–9) per cluster, gray-brown to brown, obpyramidal, (3–)3.5–4.5 × 1–1.2 mm (l/w: 2.8–4.1), apex broadly conic, with sparse or moderately dense stipitate-glandular hairs on ribs, less densely pubescent or glabrous in sulci [rarely entirely glabrous];
ribs 5, round, smooth;
sulci ± 2–2.5 times as wide as base of ribs, not rugose, not papillate.
4–20(–22) per cluster, remotely spaced or overlapped by 1–100% of their length, or 2–4 in group, separated by small gap from next group and with distal spikelets overlapping, straw colored to pale red-brown, narrowly obovoid to narrowly obpyramidal, 2–3.2(–3.6) × 0.9–1.1(–1.4) mm (l/w: [1.9–]2.1–3.1[–3.3]), apex rounded to bluntly conic-truncate, or truncate, glabrous;
ribs 5, obtuse or round-obtuse, often with sharp ridges, slightly rugose near sulci;
sulci 0.1–0.3 times as wide as base of ribs, smooth or slightly rugose, not papillate.
= 26, 52, 54, 116.
Boerhavia diffusa
Boerhavia coulteri
Boerhavia diffusa belongs to a pantropical complex whose distribution, because of differing taxonomic treatments, is not precisely discernable. In North America, the West Indies, and elsewhere, the complex has been treated as having one (e.g., R. W. Long and O. Lakela 1971; R. P. Wunderlin 1998) or two species (E. A. Kellogg 1988; J. K. Small 1913c; P. C. Standley 1918; C. Whitehouse 1996). In the latter situation various binomials have been used. The abrupt bend in the ribs near the fruit apex, making a broadly conic apex, seems to be a useful character for distinguishing most B. diffusa. The shape of the apex, the sparse pubescence of the fruit, the few fruits in individual terminal clusters, and the open, ± leafless inflorescence may have led R. E. Woodson Jr. and H. J. Kidd (1961) to suspect hybridization of this complex with the annual B. erecta. Hybridization is plausible (R. Spellenberg 2000), but clearly intermediate plants are not known.
The leaves are sometimes used as a vegetable (C. Whitehouse 1996). Extracts from roots are used to prepare an expectorant, a diuretic, and a laxative, and in treating asthma (S. P. Ambasta 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Fruits often overlapping 50-100% of their lengths, often ± fasciculate in groups of 2-4, 2.5-3.6 mm, apex truncate, round-truncate, bluntly conic, or rounded | var. coulteri |
1. Fruits remote or some overlapping 1-50% of their lengths, infrequently 2-3 in a cluster, 2-2.4+ mm, occasionally longer, usually rounded apically | var. palmeri |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
