Tragia betonicifolia |
Tragia brevispica |
|
---|---|---|
betony-leaf noseburn |
short-spike noseburn |
|
Habit | Herbs or subshrubs, 2–5 dm. | Herbs or vines, 2–12 dm. |
Stems | erect to trailing, green to whitish green, apex never flexuous. |
decumbent, twining, or erect, light green, apex usually flexuous. |
Leaves | petiole 10–40 mm; blade triangular-lanceolate to triangular-ovate, 1.5–6 × 1–3.5 cm, base cordate to truncate, margins serrate, apex acute. |
petiole 6–38 mm; blade triangular to cordate, 1.9–6 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins serrate to crenate, apex acute. |
Inflorescences | terminal (often appearing leaf-opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 15–80 per raceme, distally clustered; staminate bracts 1–2 mm. |
terminal (often appearing leaf-opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 2–8[–10] per raceme; staminate bracts 1–1.8 mm. |
Pedicels | staminate 0.7–1 mm, persistent base 0.3–0.6 mm, shorter than subtending bract; pistillate 3–4 mm in fruit. |
staminate 0.7–2 mm, persistent base 0.4–1.5 mm; pistillate 2–4 mm in fruit. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 3–4, green, sometimes red-tinged, 1.2–2.3 mm; stamens 3(–4), filaments 0.4–1 mm. |
sepals 3–4[–5], green, 1–1.5 mm; stamens 3–4(–5), filaments 0.3–0.6 mm. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals lanceolate, 1.8–5 mm; styles connate 1/3 length; stigmas papillate. |
sepals ovate, 1.3–3.5 mm; styles connate 1/3 length; stigmas subpapillate to undulate. |
Capsules | 7–9 mm wide. |
6.5–7 mm wide, often 1 carpel maturing. |
Seeds | dark brown with light brown streaks, 3–4 mm. |
dark brown, 2.5–3.8 mm. |
2n | = 44. |
|
Tragia betonicifolia |
Tragia brevispica |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall. | Flowering spring–fall; fruiting late summer–fall. |
Habitat | Dry, sandy soils, disturbed fields, prairies, open woods. | Open forests, scrublands, disturbed roadsides, open fields, often on loam and clay soils. |
Elevation | 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) | 10–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; KS; LA; MO; MS; OK; TN; TX; VA
|
LA; OK; TX; Mexico (Nuevo León) |
Discussion | Plants of Tragia betonicifolia resemble those of T. urticifolia but differ in the greater number of branches from the root crowns, the shorter length of the persistent staminate flower pedicel bases, the longer, narrower pistillate sepals, and the distally clustered arrangement of the staminate flowers. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The leaves of Tragia brevispica are highly variable and frequently resemble those of T. ramosa, which differs in having smooth stigmas and leaf blades much longer than wide. The presence of 1-carpellate fruit in T. brevispica is unique in Tragia in the flora area. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 186. | FNA vol. 12, p. 186. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Tragia | Euphorbiaceae > Tragia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | T. urticifolia var. texana | T. nepetifolia var. scutellariifolia, T. nepetifolia var. teucriifolia, T. scutellariifolia, T. teucriifolia |
Name authority | Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 173. (1835) — (as betonicaefolia) | Engelmann & A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 262. (1845) |
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