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yellow hedge-hyssop

Short's hedge-hyssop

Habit Annuals. Perennials.
Stems

ascending to erect, usually much-branched from base, 5–10 cm, glabrous.

decumbent, ascending, or erect, simple, sometimes few-branched, (8–)15–60 cm, sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent or glandular-pubescent proximally, glandular-puberulent distally.

Leaves

blade linear-lanceolate, 5–15 × 1–5 mm, margins entire or with 1 or 2 pairs of teeth distally, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous.

blade lanceolate-ovate to ovate or oblong, rarely linear-lanceolate in submersed forms, 5–28 × 4–15 mm, margins with (3–)5–10(–12) pairs of sharp teeth, apex acute, rarely obtuse, surfaces sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent.

Pedicels

slender, 4–10 mm, length 1–2.3 times bract, glabrous;

bracteoles 1, 1.5–4 mm.

slender, 10–23 mm, length 0.5–2 times bract, sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 2, 3.5–7 mm.

Flowers

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.

sepals distinct, lanceolate to elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 3–7 mm;

corolla 9–13 mm, tube yellowish brown, veins blue or lavender, limb white;

style 3–4 mm.

Capsules

ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.

globular, 1–2.5 × 1–2.5 mm.

Seeds

0.3–0.4 mm.

0.3–0.4 mm.

2n

= 16.

Gratiola torreyi

Gratiola viscidula

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Wet, exposed soils in meadows, clearings in post oak woodlands, saline prairies. Bogs, wet meadows, floodplain wetlands, beaver ponds, stream banks, seeps, shores of ponds and lakes.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
LA; TX
from FNA
DC; DE; FL; GA; KY; MD; NC; OH; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

D. M. Spooner (1984) examined intraspecific variation in Gratiola viscidula and concluded that recognition of infraspecific taxa is not warranted.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 268. FNA vol. 17, p. 269.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Gratiola Plantaginaceae > Gratiola
Sibling taxa
G. amphiantha, G. brevifolia, G. ebracteata, G. floridana, G. graniticola, G. heterosepala, G. lutea, G. neglecta, G. quartermaniae, G. ramosa, G. virginiana, G. viscidula
G. amphiantha, G. brevifolia, G. ebracteata, G. floridana, G. graniticola, G. heterosepala, G. lutea, G. neglecta, G. quartermaniae, G. ramosa, G. torreyi, G. virginiana
Synonyms G. flava G. viscosa, G. viscidula subsp. shortii
Name authority Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 1066, 1338. (1903) Pennell: Torreya 19: 145. (1919)
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