Pluchea baccharis
Pluchea
rosy camphorweed
camphorweed
puberulent to sparsely villous and stipitate- to sessile-glandular (sometimes viscid).
erect, simple or branched, seldom winged (see P. sagittalis), usually puberulent to tomentose and stipitate- or sessile-glandular, sometimes glabrous.
sessile;
blades ovate to ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, 2–7 × 0.5–3 cm (bases cuneate to truncate or subcordate, clasping to subclasping), margins shallowly apiculate-toothed, faces puberulent to sparsely villous and stipitate- to sessile-glandular (sometimes viscid).
cauline, alternate; petiolate or sessile;
blades mostly elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, oblong, obovate, or ovate, bases clasping or not, margins entire or dentate, abaxial faces mostly arachnose, puberulent, sericeous, strigose, or villous and/or stipitate- or sessile-glandular, adaxial similar or glabrate or glabrous.
campanulate to turbinate-campanulate or turbinate, 4–6 × 5–9 mm (bases obtuse to barely acute).
mostly campanulate, cupulate, cylindric, hemispheric, or turbinate, 3–10(–12) mm diam.
flat, epaleate.
in 3–10+ series, fertile;
corollas creamy white, whitish, yellowish, pinkish, lavender, purplish, or rosy.
2–40+;
corollas creamy white, whitish, yellowish, pinkish, lavender, purplish, or rosy, lobes (4–)5.
rose-pink to purplish.
rose-pink to purplish, moderately appressed-villous to puberulous or arachnose, usually viscid-hairy as well (outer phyllaries ovate-acuminate to ovate-lanceolate, lengths 0.5–1 times inner).
persistent or falling, in 3–6+ series, mostly ovate to lanceolate or linear, unequal.
in corymbiform arrays.
disciform, in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays (flat-topped or ± elongate).
oblong-cylindric, ribs 4–8, faces strigillose and/or minutely sessile-glandular or glabrous (in the flora, only P. sericea);
pappi persistent or tardily falling, of distinct or basally connate, barbellate bristles in 1 series.
persistent, bristles distinct.
= 10.
= 20.
Pluchea baccharis
Pluchea
Pluchea baccharis has been reported from Arkansas; I have not seen a specimen.
Pluchea rosea var. mexicana R. K. Godfrey, endemic to inland gypseous-saline habitats in east-central Mexico, has been treated at specific rank (G. L. Nesom 1989).
The geographic ranges of Pluchea baccharis and P. foetida are nearly congruent and the taxa intergrade in morphology. The distinction between them is based primarily on corolla and phyllary color. Features of involucral vestiture also appear to be relatively constant. Head size and shape are not reliable diagnostic features.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 40–60 (9 in the flora).
As currently treated, Pluchea is a heterogeneous group of species, variable in habit (trees and shrubs to herbs) and foliar, floral, and fruit morphology. The American, primarily herbaceous, species are divided into groups (G. L. Nesom 1989): sect. Pluchea, sect. Amplectifolium G. L. Nesom, and sect. Pterocaulis G. L. Nesom. Among the woody species, segregate genera have been recognized (Tessaria Ruiz & Pavón, Berthelotia de Candolle, Eremohylema A. Nelson); boundaries among segregates have not been clearly drawn.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Shrubs or trees; leaves and stems sericeous, not glandular | P. sericea |
1. Annuals, perennials, or subshrubs; leaves and stems not sericeous, usually glandular | → 2 |
2. Stems (winged by decurrent leaf bases) | P. sagittalis |
2. Stems (not winged, leaf bases sometimes clasping, not decurrent) | → 3 |
3. Leaves petiolate, blades mostly elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, oblong-elliptic, oblong-ovate, or ovate (bases not clasping) | → 4 |
3. Leaves sessile, blades mostly elliptic, lanceolate, oblong, or ovate (bases clasping to subclasping) | → 6 |
4. Subshrubs, 100–400 cm; leaf margins entire or denticulate (teeth callous-tipped). | P. carolinensis |
4. Annuals or perennials, 50–200+ cm; leaf margins serrate | → 5 |
5. Involucres 4–6 × 3–4 mm; phyllaries usually cream, sometimes purplish, usually minutely sessile-glandular, sometimes glabrate (the outermost puberulent); stems usually closely arachose (hairs appressed); arrays of heads paniculiform (of rounded-convex corymbiform clusters terminating branches from distal nodes, arrays usually resulting from strongly ascending, bracteate branches, the central axis longest, first to flower, and, rarely, the only component of an array); leaves petiolate; inland, non-saline habitats | P. camphorata |
5. Involucres 5–6 × 4–8(–10) mm; phyllaries usually cream, sometimes purplish, minutely sessile-glandular (outer also puberulent, hairs multicellular, viscid), sometimes glabrate; stems not arachnose; arrays of heads corymbiform (flat-topped to rounded, often layered, sometimes incorporating relatively long, leafy, lateral branches, clusters of heads terminal on leafy branches, some lateral branches nearly equaling or surpassing central portion); leaves sessile or petiolate; primarily coastal salt marshes, also inland habitats west of Mississippi River | P. odorata |
6. Leaves mostly 8–20 × 3–7 cm; involucres cylindro-campanulate, 9–12 mm (mid phyllaries 2.5–3 mm wide); phyllaries and corollas creamy white. | P. longifolia |
6. Leaves mostly 3–10 × 1–3 cm; involucres turbinate-campanulate to cylindro-campanulate, 5–8 mm (mid phyllaries 1–1.5 mm wide); phyllaries and corollas yellowish or creamy white to lavender, pale pink, pinkish, purplish, or rosy | → 7 |
7. Stems and leaves (slightly succulent, shiny) glandular, otherwise mostly glabrous; involucres 5–6 × 4–5 mm; phyllaries and corollas pink to lavender or cream or pinkish to rosy | P. yucatanensis |
7. Stems and leaves at least puberulent or arachnose as well as glandular; involucres 4–10 × 5–12 mm; phyllaries and corollas rose-pink to purplish, rose-purple, greenish, cream, or creamy white to yellowish, or pale pink | → 8 |
8. Phyllaries and corollas usually creamy white, sometimes cream, greenish, rose-purple, purplish, pale pink, or yellowish; involucres 5–10 × 6–9(–12) mm (bases rounded to impressed); phyllaries thinly arachnose and sessile-glandular | P. foetida |
8. Phyllaries and corollas rose-pink to purplish; involucres 4–6 × 5–9 mm (bases obtuse to barely acute); phyllaries usually arachnose (sometimes also with viscid hairs) | P. baccharis |
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