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California pellitory, pelitory, rillita pellitory, unknown

cluster pellitory

Habit Herbs, annual, 0.2-5.5 dm. Herbs, annual, 1-5.5 dm.
Stems

simple or freely branched, sometimes densely matted, prostrate, decumbent, ascending, or erect.

freely branched, decumbent to ascending.

Leaf

blades narrowly to very broadly ovate, oblong, orbiculate, or reniform, 0.2-4.5 × 0.2-2.7 cm, base broadly cuneate, rounded, truncate, or nearly cordate, apex acuminate, acute, obtuse, or rounded;

proximal pair of lateral veins arising at junction of blade and petiole.

blades narrowly to broadly ovate or rarely lanceolate, 1-6.5 × 0.6-4 cm, base rounded or very broadly cuneate, apex short- to long-acuminate or attenuate.

Flowers

involucral bracts 1-4.5 mm;

tepals 2-2.8 mm, shorter or longer than bracts.

involucral bracts 1.3-4.7 mm;

tepals 1.7-2.3 mm, equal to or shorter than bracts.

Achenes

light brown, symmetric, 0.9-1.2 × 0.6-0.7 mm, apex obtuse, mucro apical;

stipe centered, short-cylindric, basally dilated.

light brown, asymmetric, 1-1.4 × 0.7-1.1 mm, apex obtuse, mucro subapical;

stipe slanting, short-cylindric, not centered, basally dilated.

Parietaria hespera

Parietaria praetermissa

Phenology Flowering winter–summer.
Habitat Shell mounds, calcareous outcrops, hammocks, waste places
Elevation 0-10 m (0-0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
FL; GA; LA; NC; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Parietaria praetermissa is endemic to the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of southeastern United States. The name Parietaria floridana has been incorrectly applied to this species.

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

Key
1. Tepals erect, loosely connivent, apex acute; leaf blades conspicuously longer than wide, base broadly cuneate, rounded, or truncate.
var. hespera
1. Tepals spreading or recurved and twisted at maturity, distinct, apex long-acuminate, attenuate, or caudate; leaf blades as long as or slightly longer than wide, base rounded to nearly cordate.
var. californica
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Urticaceae > Parietaria Urticaceae > Parietaria
Sibling taxa
P. floridana, P. judaica, P. pensylvanica, P. praetermissa
P. floridana, P. hespera, P. judaica, P. pensylvanica
Subordinate taxa
P. hespera var. californica, P. hespera var. hespera
Name authority B. D. Hinton: Sida 3: 293. (1969) B. D. Hinton: Sida 3: 192. (1968)
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