Lygodesmia texana
Lygodesmia
Texas skeletonplant
rush-pink, skeletonplant
erect, green, stout, branched from bases and distally, weakly striate, glabrous.
1–5+, (green to gray-green, rushlike, ± striate), simple to or much branched proximally and/or distally, usually glabrous, rarely tomentulose.
(basal forming rosettes, sometimes withering before flowering) proximal blades linear, 100–200 × 1–8 mm, margins of usually pinnately laciniately lobed, lobes remote and narrow, 1–15 mm;
cauline similar, 5–10 mm, reduced to scales distally.
basal (sometimes in rosettes) and cauline;
sessile;
blades linear to subulate, sometimes reduced to scales, margins entire or sparingly pinnately laciniately lobed (faces usually glabrous, rarely tomentulose).
not inflated distally, bracteate.
cylindric, 18–25 mm × 5–8 mm, apices narrow.
cylindric, 5–8 mm diam. (apices truncate, narrow or spreading).
flat, sometimes pitted, sometimes scabrous, epaleate.
8–12;
corollas usually pink, purple, or lavender, rarely white, 35–40 mm, ligules 5–6 mm wide.
5–12;
corollas usually pink to lavender or purple, rarely white.
8–10, linear, 18–26 mm, margins scarious, apices appendaged, faces glabrous or tomentulose.
5–12 in ± 1 series, grayish green, ± linear, equal, margins scarious, faces glabrous or puberulent, sometimes roughened.
of 8–10, ovate bractlets 1–3 mm, margins ciliate-tomentulose.
of 8–16, ovate to subulate or scalelike bracteoles in 1–2 series, unequal, margins scarious to erose-ciliate, faces glabrous or tomentulose, sometimes roughened.
borne singly.
borne singly or in loose, corymbiform arrays.
11–17 mm, faces smooth, adaxial not sulcate, glabrous;
pappi 10–15 mm.
pale green to tan, subcylindric, straight or arcuate, subterete or longitudinally angled or sulcate, apices sometimes narrowed, not beaked, faces smooth or rugose-roughened, glabrous;
pappi persistent, of 60–80, tawny or white, ± connate, smooth bristles in 1–2+ series.
= 9.
= 18.
Lygodesmia texana
Lygodesmia
Lygodesmia texana is easily distinguished by its laciniate-lobed basal leaves that form rosettes in younger stages, relatively large involucres and florets, phyllaries with an apical appendage, and smooth cypselae. It is closely related to L. aphylla, which has a more eastern distribution, lacks laciniate leaves in rosettes, and has sulcate cypselae. Lygodesmia texana apparently hybridizes with L. ramossisima in trans-Pecos Texas, and the two species can be difficult to distinguish (A. S. Tomb 1980).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 5 (5 in the flora).
Lygodesmia is easily recognized by the green, rushlike stems, narrow and often greatly reduced leaves, and terminal heads of showy, rosy, ligulate florets. It has been consideredcongeneric with Stephanomeria, Prenanthella, and Shinnersoseris; A. S. Tomb (1980) concluded that those taxa are not closely related. The annual species with plumose pappus bristles that formerly were included in Lygodesmia have been removed to those genera.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Involucres 10–16 mm; phyllary apices not appendaged; corollas 18–20 mm, ligules 3–4 mm wide; cypselae 6–10 mm; pappi 6–9 mm | L. juncea |
1. Involucres 14–25 mm; phyllary apices appendaged (reduced in L. grandiflora var. arizonica); corollas 12–40 mm, ligules 4–6(–10) mm wide; cypselae 10–19 mm; pappi 10–18 mm | → 2 |
2. Basal leaves not forming rosettes; cauline leaves well developed, not reduced to scales; plants 5–25(–60) cm | L. grandiflora |
2. Basal leaves forming rosettes (often withered at flowering); cauline leaves mostly reduced to scales; plants 25–65 cm | → 3 |
3. Phyllaries 5–7; florets 5(–7) | L. ramosissima |
3. Phyllaries 8–10; florets 8–12 | → 4 |
4. Basal leaves entire; cypselae sulcate on inner faces; stems strongly striate; Florida, Georgia | L. aphylla |
4. Basal leaves laciniately lobed; cypselae smooth on inner faces; stems weakly striate; New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas | L. texana |
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