Tragia nigricans |
Tragia amblyodonta |
|
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dark noseburn |
blunt-tooth noseburn, dog-tooth noseburn |
|
Habit | Herbs, 1.5–5.5 dm. | Subshrubs, 1.2–5 dm. |
Stems | erect, purple-green to reddish black, apex never flexuous. |
erect to trailing, gray-green, apex often flexuous. |
Leaves | petiole 1–5 mm; blade oblong to oblanceolate, 3–7 × 1–2.8 cm, base acute to obtuse, margins coarsely serrate, teeth apices often somewhat recurved, apex acute. |
petiole 4–20(–30) mm; blade usually triangular to subhastate, sometimes ovate, 1–4.5 × 0.8–3 cm, base cordate, hastate, or truncate, margins crenate to serrate, apex acute to obtuse. |
Inflorescences | terminal (appearing leaf opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 2–5 per raceme; staminate bracts 1–2 mm. |
terminal or axillary, glands absent, staminate flowers 5–16 per raceme; staminate bracts 0.9–2 mm. |
Pedicels | staminate 1.3–1.6 mm, persistent base 0.2–0.4 mm; pistillate 2–3 mm in fruit. |
staminate 0.7–1.2 mm, persistent base 0.2–0.8 mm; pistillate 1.5–4 mm in fruit. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 3–4, green, 1.5–2.5 mm; stamens 4–5, filaments 0.7–1.3 mm, connate 1/2 length. |
sepals 3–4, green, 0.9–1.2 mm; stamens 3–4, filaments 0.2–0.7 mm. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals rhombic-lanceolate, 1–4 mm; styles connate 1/4 length; stigmas undulate. |
sepals lanceolate, 1–2.5 mm; styles connate to 1/3 length, short-exserted; stigmas undulate to subpapillate. |
Capsules | 6–7 mm wide. |
7–8 mm wide. |
Seeds | dark brown, 2.5–3.2 mm. |
brown with tan mottling, 2.5–3.5 mm. |
2n | = 110. |
|
Tragia nigricans |
Tragia amblyodonta |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–summer; fruiting midsummer–fall. | Flowering spring–fall; fruiting summer–late fall. |
Habitat | Open oak woodlands. | Dry, rocky, exposed slopes in xerophytic scrub. |
Elevation | 100–700 m. (300–2300 ft.) | 10–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX |
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas) |
Discussion | The combination of relatively large, coarsely serrate leaf blades, dark stems, and filaments connate to 1/2 of length make Tragia nigricans unique within the genus in North America. It appears to be most closely related to T. leptophylla, which also has dark stems and few staminate flowers per inflorescence. Like T. leptophylla, it is found only in the Edwards Plateau, but is restricted to the eastern part; they overlap only in Uvalde County. They also differ in habitat preference. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Tragia amblyodonta is easily distinguished from other members of Tragia by the combination of usually triangular to subhastate leaf blades, gray-green coloration, and painfully stinging hairs. Both stomata diameter and pollen grain size of T. amblyodonta are larger than in any other North American species of Tragia (K. I. Miller and G. L. Webster 1967). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 189. | FNA vol. 12, p. 186. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | T. nepetifolia var. amblyodonta | |
Name authority | Bush ex Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 702. (1903) | (Müller Arg.) Pax & K. Hoffmann: in H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. 68[IV,147]: 51. (1919) |
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