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Bolivian coriander, yerba porosa

poreleaf

Habit Annuals, perennials, subshrubs, or shrubs, 10–120[–200+] cm.
Stems

erect, usually strictly branched.

Leaves

cauline; opposite or alternate; petiolate or sessile;

blades orbiculate to linear or filiform, margins crenate or entire, faces usually glabrous (oil-glands scattered and/or at margins).

Involucres

cylindric to campanulate [turbinate], 3–12 mm diam.

Receptacles

convex to conic, pitted, epaleate.

Ray florets

0.

Disc florets

(5–)10–80[–100+], bisexual, fertile;

corollas usually yellow, sometimes whitish to greenish or purplish [brownish], tubes either very slender, much longer than funnelform throats, or stout, much shorter than narrowly cylindric throats, lobes 5, deltate to lanceolate (often unequal).

Phyllaries

5–10 in ± 2 series (distinct to bases, oblong or lanceolate to linear, bearing oval to linear oil-glands).

Calyculi

0.

Heads

discoid, borne singly or in loose, ± corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

cylindric to fusiform, hirtellous to villous [glabrous];

pappi persistent, of 25–50(–100) coarse to fine bristles in 1–2+ series.

x

= 12.

Porophyllum ruderale

Porophyllum

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
sw United States; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies (Antilles)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (1 in the flora).

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

Species ca. 25 (5 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Annuals; leaf blades oval or elliptic to obovate, 8–25+ mm wide
P. ruderale
1. Perennials, or subshrubs or shrubs; leaf blades linear to filiform, 1–5 mm wide
→ 2
2. Corollas whitish or purplish
P. gracile
2. Corollas yellow (sometimes tinged reddish)
→ 3
3. Subshrubs or shrubs, 20–60+ cm; phyllaries 7–10
P. scoparium
3. Perennials (rarely woody at bases), mostly 5–30 cm; phyllaries 5(–8)
→ 4
4. Internodes mostly 1–5(–12) mm; leaf blades 8–15 × 2 mm; pappi: longer bristles 6–7 mm
P. pygmaeum
4. Internodes mostly 10–20+ mm; leaf blades 20–60 × 1–2 mm; pappi: longer bristles 8–10 mm
P. greggii
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 234. FNA vol. 21, p. 233. Author: John L. Strother.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Pectidinae > Porophyllum Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Pectidinae
Sibling taxa
P. gracile, P. greggii, P. pygmaeum, P. scoparium
Subordinate taxa
P. ruderale var. macrocephalum
P. gracile, P. greggii, P. pygmaeum, P. ruderale, P. scoparium
Synonyms Kleinia ruderale
Name authority (Jacquin) Cassini: in F. Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 43: 56. (1826) Guettard: Hist. Acad. Roy. Sci. Mém. Math. Phys. (Paris, 4to) 1750: 377. (1754)
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