Tragia nepetifolia
Tragia cordata
catnip noseburn
heart-leaf noseburn
erect to trailing, green to reddish green, apex never flexuous.
usually decumbent or twining, rarely erect, gray-green to light green, apex flexuous.
petiole 3–25(–41) mm;
blade triangular to ovate [linear], proximal broadly ovate to sometimes suborbiculate, 1.8–5 × 0.9–3.6 cm, often red-green, base truncate to cordate, margins coarsely dentate to coarsely serrate, apex acute.
petiole 15–85 mm;
blade ovate to broadly cordate, 4.5–10(–13) × 3.5–10 cm, base cordate, margins serrate, apex acuminate.
terminal (often appearing leaf opposed), glands sessile or absent, staminate flowers 8–40 per raceme, distally clustered [evenly distributed]; staminate bracts 1.3–1.6 mm.
terminal (often appearing leaf-opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 20–60 per raceme; staminate bracts 1.5–2 mm.
staminate 1.4–1.7 mm, persistent base 0.5–0.7 mm; pistillate 2.9–3.3 mm in fruit.
staminate 1.5–2.2 mm, persistent base 0.7–1 mm; pistillate 2.5–3 mm in fruit.
sepals 3–4, reddish green, 1–2 mm;
stamens 3–4, filaments 0.3–0.6 mm.
sepals 3, green, 0.7–1 mm;
stamens 3, filaments 0.2–0.5 mm.
sepals lanceolate [ovate], 1.4–2.3 mm;
styles connate 1/4–1/3 length;
stigmas papillate.
sepals elliptic to ovate, 1.5–2 mm;
styles connate 1/4–1/3 length;
stigmas papillate.
6–8 mm wide.
11–13 mm wide.
brownish black, 3–4 mm.
dark brown, 4.3–5.3 mm.
, 15–20 dm.
Tragia nepetifolia
Tragia cordata
Tragia nepetifolia is typically found at high elevations in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Since it was described more than 200 years ago, many collections of Tragia in Mexico and the United States have been identified mistakenly as this species.
Tragia nepetifolia includes four varieties in Mexico, but none match plants occurring in the United States. These most closely resemble var. dissecta Müller Arg. of western Mexico, sharing inflorescences with distally clustered staminate flowers and a tendency toward reddish coloration, but differing in that their leaf blades are not as deeply toothed.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Both the morphology and ecology of Tragia cordata make it unique among American members of Tragia. The relatively large, heart-shaped leaves separate it from the other Tragia in the flora area; it is the only twining species of Tragia found in the deciduous forest of the Midwest.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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