Gratiola brevifolia
Gratiola torreyi
short-leaf hedge-hyssop, sticky hedge-hyssop
yellow hedge-hyssop
decumbent to ascending, simple or few- to much-branched, 20–60 cm, sparsely to moderately glandular-puberulent.
ascending to erect, usually much-branched from base, 5–10 cm, glabrous.
blade lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate or oblong, 8–25 × (1–)3–8(–13) mm, margins with (1 or)2–4 pairs of sharp teeth distally, apex acute, surfaces sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent.
blade linear-lanceolate, 5–15 × 1–5 mm, margins entire or with 1 or 2 pairs of teeth distally, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous.
slender, (5–)10–25(–30) mm, length 0.8–1.8 times bract, densely glandular-puberulent to glandular-pubescent;
bracteoles (1 or)2, 4–4.5 mm.
slender, 4–10 mm, length 1–2.3 times bract, glabrous;
bracteoles 1, 1.5–4 mm.
sepals distinct, linear-lanceolate, 5–7 mm;
corolla 10–13 mm, tube yellowish brown, veins yellow or brownish yellow, limb white;
style 3–5 mm.
sepals distinct, linear to linear-lanceolate, 3–6 mm;
corolla 9–12 mm, tube yellow to orangish yellow, veins yellow to greenish yellow or brownish yellow, limb yellow;
style 3–5 mm.
subglobular to ovoid, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.3 mm.
ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.
0.3–0.4 mm.
0.3–0.4 mm.
= 28.
Gratiola brevifolia
Gratiola torreyi
Gratiola brevifolia is morphologically variable. In parts of its range, narrow-leaved plants approach G. ramosa and some broad-leaved plants approach G. viscidula. A population of G. brevifolia in Delaware is disjunct from the nearest conspecific population by more than 800 km (W. M. Knapp and D. Estes 2006).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The name Gratiola flava has been widely used for G. torreyi. F. W. Pennell (1935) synonymized G. torreyi with G. neglecta, stating that the type of G. torreyi (Wright s.n., NY) has white corolla lobes and yellow corolla tubes instead of entirely golden yellow corollas as reported by Small in the protologue of G. torreyi. The statement by Pennell appears to be in error.
M. H. MacRoberts et al. (2007) discussed historic and recent collections of Gratiola torreyi (as G. flava) from Louisiana. The provenance of collections attributed to Arkansas is equivocal (MacRoberts et al.).
Gratiola pusilla Torrey ex Bentham 1846 (not Willdenow 1797) is an illegitimate name and pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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