Flora of North America species comparison

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Polycnemum

needleleaf, polycnemum
Habit Herbs, annual, glabrous or pubescent.
Stems

erect or procumbent, not jointed, not armed, not fleshy.
Leaves

alternate;

blade awl-shaped, triangular in cross section, rigid, margins entire, apex terminating in soft or stiff, flattened spine.
Inflorescences

solitary flowers in axils of leaflike bracts.
Flowers

bisexual;

perianth segments 5, membranous;

stamens usually 3 (occasionally 1–2 with fertile anthers);

stigmas 2-branched, filiform.
Seeds

vertical, flattened, seed coat black, pitted or smooth;

embryo annular, perisperm copious.
Fruiting

structures: bracteoles 2;

utricles indehiscent or dehiscence circumscissile;

pericarp white and somewhat fleshy, ± equaling seeds, membranous.
x

= 9.

Polycnemum
Distribution
from USDA
mid Europe to s Russia and n Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species ca. 7 (2 in the flora).

There are few records of Polycnemum in North American herbaria and populations are less widespread than reported in the early part of the 20th century. Reports of Polycnemum arvense from British Columbia have not been reconfirmed in recent years, and the present-day range of P. majus may be restricted to Canada. The report of P. verrucosum (a species with glaucous leaves and elongated perianth bracts) from Nova Scotia is based on a specimen that fits the morphological description of P. majus. Under-reporting may occur because Polycnemum is confused easily with immature specimens of Salsola.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Bracteoles to 2 times perianth length; leaves (at least some) greater than 10 mm, spine-tip stiff
P. majus
1. Bracteoles equaling perianth length; leaves less than 12 mm, spine-tip flexible
P. arvense
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 261. Author: Leila M. Shultz.
Parent taxa Chenopodiaceae
Subordinate taxa
P. arvense, P. majus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 35. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 22. (1754)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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