Flora of North America species comparison

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Polycnemum majus

Polycnemum

giant needle-leaf

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

procumbent to erect, branches not twisted, 10–30 cm, glabrous.

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

green to bluish green, (3–)10–25(–20) × 0.5–1 mm, base hyaline, sometimes with sparsely bristled margins, apex stiffly spine-tipped.

alternate;

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

± 3 times perianth length.

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

1.5–2 mm.

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

embryo annular, perisperm copious.
Bracteoles

1–2 times perianth length.

Fruiting

structures: bracteoles 2;

utricles indehiscent or dehiscence circumscissile;

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

= 9.
2n

= 54.

Polycnemum majus

Polycnemum
Phenology Flowering mid summer.
Habitat Dry places, such as bare limestone flats
Elevation 100-300 m (300-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IL; NY; ON; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
mid Europe to s Russia and n Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Reports of this species are increasingly rare, perhaps due to loss of habitat.

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

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. 262. FNA vol. 4, p. 261. Author: Leila M. Shultz.
Parent taxa Chenopodiaceae > Polycnemum Chenopodiaceae
Sibling taxa
P. arvense
Subordinate taxa
P. arvense, P. majus
Name authority A. Braun ex Bogenhard: Flora 24: 151. (1841) 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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