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baby jump-up

axilflower

Stems

spreading, prostrate, or ascending, 10–60 cm, glandular.

erect, 10–60 cm, glandular.

Leaves

glandular;

blade 10–25 × 6–12 mm, 4–8 times bracts, margins sharply serrate.

glandular;

blade 9–30 × 6–10 mm, 1–2 times bracts, margins weakly serrate.

Pedicels

ascending, 7–25 mm.

divaricate or ascending, 6–22 mm.

Flowers

calyx lobes equal;

corolla lemon yellow with reddish veins in throat, abaxial lip prominent, adaxial lobes connate nearly to apices;

stamens medially adnate to corolla.

calyx lobes unequal;

corolla white with purple veins in throat, adaxial lobes connate 1/2–2/3 lengths, abaxial lip not prominent;

stamens distally adnate to corolla.

Capsules

4–5 mm.

6–7 mm.

Seeds

60–80, brown, radial walls of reticulum mamillate.

40–60, black, radial walls of reticulum smooth.

2n

= 22, 44.

Mecardonia procumbens

Mecardonia acuminata

Phenology Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Wetlands, edges of streams, springs and seeps, deserts in upland washes and canyons with moisture.
Elevation 90–1600 m. (300–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; FL; GA; LA; MS; NM; TX; Mexico; Central America [Introduced in Asia (India, Sri Lanka), Africa (Cameroon, Sierra Leone), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Stems branched from bases and diffuse; fruiting pedicels ascending, 1–2 times bracts.
var. peninsularis
1. Stems branched from middles, rarely diffuse; fruiting pedicels divaricate, 1/2–2 times bracts.
→ 2
2. Fruiting pedicels 17–35 mm, 1–2 times bracts.
var. acuminata
2. Fruiting pedicels 10–18 mm, 1/2–1 times bracts.
var. microphylla
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 275. FNA vol. 17, p. 273.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Mecardonia Plantaginaceae > Mecardonia
Sibling taxa
M. acuminata
M. procumbens
Subordinate taxa
M. acuminata var. acuminata, M. acuminata var. microphylla, M. acuminata var. peninsularis
Synonyms Erinus procumbens, Bacopa procumbens, M. tenuis Gratiola acuminata, Bacopa acuminata
Name authority (Miller) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 1065, 1338. (1903) (Walter) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 1065, 1337. (1903)
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