Tragia ramosa
Tragia nigricans
branch noseburn, branch or desert or common noseburn, desert noseburn, desert tragia
dark noseburn
erect to trailing, dark green to light green, apex rarely flexuous.
erect, purple-green to reddish black, apex never flexuous.
petiole 2–20 mm;
blade linear-lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1–4 × 0.5–2 cm, base truncate to weakly cordate, margins serrate, apex acute.
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.
terminal (often appearing leaf opposed), glands few, sessile, staminate flowers 2–20 per raceme; staminate bracts 1.5–2 mm.
terminal (appearing leaf opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 2–5 per raceme; staminate bracts 1–2 mm.
staminate 0.7–2 mm, persistent base 0.4–1.5 mm; pistillate 2–2.5 mm in fruit.
staminate 1.3–1.6 mm, persistent base 0.2–0.4 mm; pistillate 2–3 mm in fruit.
sepals 3–4, green, 1–2.2 mm;
stamens 3–6(–10), filaments 0.3–1 mm.
sepals 3–4, green, 1.5–2.5 mm;
stamens 4–5, filaments 0.7–1.3 mm, connate 1/2 length.
sepals lanceolate, 0.8–2.5 mm;
styles connate 1/3–1/2 length, long-exserted;
stigmas smooth to undulate.
sepals rhombic-lanceolate, 1–4 mm;
styles connate 1/4 length;
stigmas undulate.
6–8 mm wide.
6–7 mm wide.
dark brown, 2.5–3.5 mm.
dark brown, 2.5–3.2 mm.
= 44.
Tragia ramosa
Tragia nigricans
Tragia ramosa is a variable species showing much environmental plasticity. Collections from the western United States and western Mexico have much broader leaves than those from Texas and Nuevo León, and were previously referred to as T. stylaris. Smooth stigmatic surfaces, three to six (rarely to ten) stamens, and narrow apical leaves are characters consistent with T. ramosa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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