Flora of North America species comparison

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Polycnemum majus

Polycnemum arvense

giant needle-leaf

crunch weed, field needleleaf, soft needleleaf
Stems

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

procumbent or erect, branches spirally twisted, to 10 (–50) cm, glabrous to densely pubescent.
Leaves

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

green, 3–8(–12) × 1 mm, base somewhat clasping, hyaline, not bristly, apex softly spine-tipped.
Bracts

± 3 times perianth length.

distalmost at least 3 times perianth length.
Seeds

1.5–2 mm.

1–1.5 mm.
Bracteoles

1–2 times perianth length.

ca. equaling perianth length.
2n

= 54.

= 18.

Polycnemum majus

Polycnemum arvense
Phenology Flowering mid summer. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Dry places, such as bare limestone flats Sandy soils
Elevation 100-300 m (300-1000 ft) 0-200 m (0-700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IL; NY; ON; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
BC; c Europe; s Europe to e Russia [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.)

Once considered weedy, this species has been collected rarely in recent years.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 262. FNA vol. 4, p. 262.
Parent taxa Chenopodiaceae > Polycnemum Chenopodiaceae > Polycnemum
Sibling taxa
P. arvense
P. majus
Name authority A. Braun ex Bogenhard: Flora 24: 151. (1841) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 35. (1753)
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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