Ceratiola
Ceratiola ericoides
ceratiola, Florida rosemary, sand heath
Florida-rosemary, sand heath, sandhill-rosemary
erect, (diffusely branched; branches numerous, ascending);
old twigs rough with persistent leaf bases, young twigs tomentose.
persistent, whorled;
petiole present;
blade coriaceous, margins entire.
4(6) per node;
petiole appressed to ascending, tan, 0.5–1 mm;
blade yellow-green to green, linear to acicular, 5–15 × 0.7–1 mm, base acute to rounded, apex acute, surfaces minutely glandular to glandular-hairy, with prominent, longitudinal groove abaxially.
axillary, fascicles, 2–3-flowered;
perulae absent.
sessile;
bracteoles 2(–4), sessile, ovate, 0.8–1 mm, margins erose.
unisexual (dioecious), radially symmetric;
sepals 2(–3), distinct;
petals 2(–3), distinct, corolla persistent, ovoid;
stamens 2, exserted;
anthers without awns, longitudinally dehiscent;
ovary 2-locular;
style exserted, straight;
stigma linear.
sessile, tan to reddish brown;
sepals persistent, imbricate, ovate to orbiculate, 1–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm, margins fimbrillate;
petals persistent, imbricate, 1–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm, margins fimbrillate;
stamens reddish brown;
filaments 2–3 mm;
anthers 1 mm;
pistil reddish purple, 1.5–2.5 mm;
ovary ovoid, 0.7–1 mm;
style 0.7–1 mm, ± equaling stigma;
stigma 0.5–1 mm.
drupaceous, globose, dry.
red (tan to yellow), 1.5–2 mm diam.
(pyrenes) 2, planoconvex, not winged, not tailed;
testa ± smooth.
(pyrenes) reddish brown, 1–1.7 mm.
= 13.
= 26.
Ceratiola
Ceratiola ericoides
Species 1: se United States.
Ceratiola was treated formerly within Empetraceae, along with Corema and Empetrum. Phylogenetic studies based on morphological and molecular data (A. A. Anderberg 1994c; K. A. Kron et al. 2002; Li J. H. et al. 2002) indicate that the Empetrum and Ceratiola + Corema lineages form a monophyletic group nested consistently within Ericaceae. The phylogenetic relationship between Ceratiola and the North American species of Corema is not resolved fully, and molecular data suggest possible ancestral hybridization events between Ceratiola ericoides and Corema conradii (Li et al.). Ceratiola differs from Corema by having two to three flowers in leaf axils, petals present, and two seeds per fruit. Empetrum is distinguished readily from Ceratiola by having solitary flowers in leaf axils and six to nine carpels and a corresponding number of seeds per fruit.
Species 1
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Ceratiola ericoides occurs in sites with low fire frequency, yet its seed germination is stimulated by fire once seed production begins at 10–15 years of age (A. F. Johnson 1982b). Leaves are strongly aromatic.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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