Phyllanthus abnormis
Phyllanthus abnormis var. riograndensis
abnormal leaflower, Drummond's leaf-flower
Rio Grande leaf-flower
main stems persistent, terete, not winged, glabrous or scabridulous; ultimate branchlets deciduous, subterete, not winged, glabrous or scabridulous.
densely scabridulous.
on main stems spiral, scalelike;
stipules not auriculate, pale reddish brown.;
leaves on ultimate branchlets distichous, well developed;
stipules not auriculate, greenish white;
blade elliptic to oblong, 3–10 × 1–4 mm, base cuneate to subcordate, apex obtuse to emarginate, both surfaces glabrous or scabridulous.
blades densely scabridulous on both surfaces.
cymules, proximal staminate with 2 flowers, distal bisexual with 1 pistillate flower and 1–3 staminate flowers.
staminate 0.7–1.5 mm, pistillate spreading in fruit, (1–)1.5–3(–3.5) mm.
sepals 5–6 in basal cymules, 4 in distal cymules, pale yellowish green, sometimes suffused with red, flat, 0.5–1 mm;
nectary extrastaminal, 4(–6) glands;
stamens 2(–3 in basal cymules), filaments connate throughout.
sepals 5–6, green with nearly white margins, flat, (0.5–)0.7–1.1 mm, 1-veined;
nectary 3 glands (2-fid distally, thus resembling 6 glands).
2.3–2.7 mm diam., smooth.
uniformly brown, 1.1–1.5 mm, longitudinally ribbed.
cymules with 1–3 staminate flowers.
nectary glands subequal, reniform, broader than long.
Phyllanthus abnormis
Phyllanthus abnormis var. riograndensis
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Variety riograndensis is found only in the Rio Grande Valley from Dimmit County to Hidalgo County, generally close to the river itself. Although it should be expected from adjacent Mexico, it has not been reported from there, perhaps because of limited collecting. The only consistent differences between vars. riograndensis and abnormis are the shape of the nectary glands in the pistillate flowers and the indumentum of the adaxial leaf surface; where the two varieties grow close together in the lower Rio Grande Valley, they also consistently differ in stem indumentum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Pistillate nectary glands strongly unequal, spatulate, as long as or longer than broad; leaf blades glabrous on both surfaces or sparsely to moderately scabridulous abaxially; bisexual cymules with 1 staminate flower. | var. abnormis |
1. Pistillate nectary glands subequal, reniform, broader than long; leaf blades densely scabridulous on both surfaces; bisexual cymules with 1–3 staminate flowers. | var. riograndensis |
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