Tragia nepetifolia
Tragia smallii
catnip noseburn
Small's noseburn
erect to trailing, green to reddish green, apex never flexuous.
erect, purple-green, apex never 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 1–4 mm;
blade orbiculate to elliptic, 2–5 × 0.8–3 cm, base acute, margins serrate to crenate, apex acute to blunt.
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 4–11 per raceme; staminate bracts 0.8–1.2 mm.
staminate 1.4–1.7 mm, persistent base 0.5–0.7 mm; pistillate 2.9–3.3 mm in fruit.
staminate 1.5–1.9 mm, persistent base 0.4–0.6 mm; pistillate 2.8–3.4 mm in fruit.
sepals 3–4, reddish green, 1–2 mm;
stamens 3–4, filaments 0.3–0.6 mm.
sepals 4–5, green, 0.9–1.5 mm;
stamens 2, filaments 0.2–0.5 mm.
sepals lanceolate [ovate], 1.4–2.3 mm;
styles connate 1/4–1/3 length;
stigmas papillate.
sepals lanceolate, 1.3–2.3 mm;
styles connate 1/4 length;
stigmas undulate.
6–8 mm wide.
9–13 mm wide.
brownish black, 3–4 mm.
dark brown with light brown streaks, 4–4.5 mm.
= 44.
Tragia nepetifolia
Tragia smallii
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.)
Plants of Tragia smallii are easily distinguished from those of most Tragia species by the combination of orbiculate to elliptic leaf blades, two stamens, and relatively large seeds. K. I. Miller and G. L. Webster (1967) placed it and T. urens, which also has two stamens, in sect. Leptobotrys.
Tragia smallii is found on the Gulf Coastal Plain from eastern most Texas to peninsular Florida.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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