The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

creeping spiderling

purple spiderling

Habit Herbs, annual; taproot tapered, soft or ± woody. Herbs, annual; taproot tapered, soft or ± woody.
Stems

erect or ascending, sparingly branched throughout, 30–70 dm, densely glandular-villous, or glandular-puberulent, with spreading, nonglandular hairs basally, glabrous distally.

erect or ascending, unbranched when small to branched ca. 1–5 times throughout, 10–60 dm, minutely puberulent to glandular-pubescent basally, usually glandular-pubescent, sometimes minutely puberulent or glabrous distally.

Leaves

mostly in basal 1/2;

larger leaves with petiole 10–30 mm, blade oval, oblong, ovate, or ± triangular, 18–45 × 13–30 mm (distal leaves usually smaller, sometimes longer, proportionately narrower), adaxial surface lightly to densely glandular-pubescent, abaxial surface paler than adaxial, lightly to densely glandular-pubescent, neither surface punctate or both minutely punctate with clusters of brown cells, base truncate, round, or obtuse, margins sinuate, sometimes crisped, apex round to obtuse, rarely acute.

mostly in basal 1/2;

larger leaves with petiole 2–22 mm, blade oval, ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 12–37 × 5–20 mm (distal leaves smaller, proportionately narrower), adaxial surface glabrate, sparsely puberulent, sometimes glandular-pubescent, abaxial surface not noticeably to prominently paler than adaxial, glabrate or occasionally glandular-pubescent, both surfaces usually punctate with dark cells, base round to obtuse, margins sinuate to sinuate-crisped, apex acute, obtuse, or round.

Inflorescences

terminal and axillary, branched 1–4 times unequally, with sticky internodal bands;

branches strongly ascending, terminating in spicate or racemose flower clusters, axis 10–55 mm.

terminal, branched ca. 1–4 times unequally, without sticky internodal bands;

branches strongly ascending, terminating in compact, capitate or subcapitate flower clusters, axis 0–2.5 mm.

Flowers

pedicel 0.4–2.3[–3.7] mm;

bracts at base of perianth usually soon deciduous, usually 2, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 0.7–1.8 mm, apex often acuminate;

perianth white to pale pink, campanulate distal to constriction, 1–1.3 mm;

stamens (2–)3, slightly exserted or included.

pedicel 0.8–2.5 mm;

bracts at base of perianth persistent, 1–3, ovate to obovate, 2.5–4 mm, apex apiculate;

perianth whitish to pale pink, funnelform beyond constriction, 2.5–4 mm;

stamens 3–4(–5), well exserted.

Fruits

5–33 per cluster, usually overlapping or 2–4 in group separated by small gap from next group, straw colored to grayish or reddish tan, broadly obovoid, 1.9–2.4(–2.8) × 1.1–1.3 mm (l/w: 1.7–2.1[–2.3]), apex rounded, glabrous;

ribs 5, obtuse-rounded to obtuse, often with low winglike ridge, slightly rugose near sulci;

sulci (0.2–)0.5 times as wide as base of ribs, slightly rugose, not papillate.

3–9 per cluster, straw colored to grayish tan, broadly obovoid, 2.3–3 × 1.3–1.7 mm (l/w: 1.6–2.1), apex round or broadly obtuse, glabrous;

ribs 5, acute, smooth;

sulci 2–2.5 times as wide as base of ribs, not or shallowly rugose, lightly papillate.

2n

= ca. 52.

Boerhavia spicata

Boerhavia purpurascens

Phenology Flowering late summer–early fall. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Sandy or rocky soils in open, arid grasslands, among open shrubs or mesquite and acacia woodlands [tropical deciduous forests] Sandy soils in open arid grasslands, among open shrubs or oaks, pinyon pines, juniper [thornscrub]
Elevation [100-]700-1800 m ([300-]2300-5900 ft) [200-]1300-1800 m ([700-]4300-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

C. F. Reed (1969) and subsequent authors have included one or more of Boerhavia coulteri, B. torreyana, and B. watsoni as synonymous with B. spicata. Even when those taxa are removed, B. spicata remains a variable species, widespread at low to middle elevations in southwestern North America, and distinguished by its mostly overlapping, obovoid fruits with rather open sulci, and the glandular pubescence on basal parts of the plant.

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

The inclusion of Boerhavia purpurascens in recent Texas floras is based upon misidentified Mirabilis species (C. F. Reed 1969).

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

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 25. FNA vol. 4, p. 25.
Parent taxa Nyctaginaceae > Boerhavia Nyctaginaceae > Boerhavia
Sibling taxa
B. anisophylla, B. ciliata, B. coccinea, B. coulteri, B. diffusa, B. erecta, B. gracillima, B. intermedia, B. linearifolia, B. megaptera, B. pterocarpa, B. purpurascens, B. torreyana, B. triquetra, B. wrightii
B. anisophylla, B. ciliata, B. coccinea, B. coulteri, B. diffusa, B. erecta, B. gracillima, B. intermedia, B. linearifolia, B. megaptera, B. pterocarpa, B. spicata, B. torreyana, B. triquetra, B. wrightii
Name authority Choisy: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 456. (1849) A. Gray: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 15: 321. (1853)
Web links