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Small's noseburn

blunt-tooth noseburn, dog-tooth noseburn

Habit Herbs or subshrubs, 1.2–2.5 dm. Subshrubs, 1.2–5 dm.
Stems

erect, purple-green, apex never flexuous.

erect to trailing, gray-green, apex often flexuous.

Leaves

petiole 1–4 mm;

blade orbiculate to elliptic, 2–5 × 0.8–3 cm, base acute, margins serrate to crenate, apex acute to blunt.

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 (often appearing leaf opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 4–11 per raceme;

staminate bracts 0.8–1.2 mm.

terminal or axillary, glands absent, staminate flowers 5–16 per raceme;

staminate bracts 0.9–2 mm.

Pedicels

staminate 1.5–1.9 mm, persistent base 0.4–0.6 mm;

pistillate 2.8–3.4 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 4–5, green, 0.9–1.5 mm;

stamens 2, filaments 0.2–0.5 mm.

sepals 3–4, green, 0.9–1.2 mm;

stamens 3–4, filaments 0.2–0.7 mm.

Pistillate flowers

sepals lanceolate, 1.3–2.3 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

9–13 mm wide.

7–8 mm wide.

Seeds

dark brown with light brown streaks, 4–4.5 mm.

brown with tan mottling, 2.5–3.5 mm.

2n

= 44.

= 110.

Tragia smallii

Tragia amblyodonta

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall. Flowering spring–fall; fruiting summer–late fall.
Habitat Dry, sandy oak-pine forests, prairies, disturbed grasslands. Dry, rocky, exposed slopes in xerophytic scrub.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 10–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

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. 190. FNA vol. 12, p. 186.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Tragia Euphorbiaceae > Tragia
Sibling taxa
T. amblyodonta, T. betonicifolia, T. brevispica, T. cordata, T. glanduligera, T. jonesii, T. laciniata, T. leptophylla, T. nepetifolia, T. nigricans, T. ramosa, T. saxicola, T. urens, T. urticifolia
T. betonicifolia, T. brevispica, T. cordata, T. glanduligera, T. jonesii, T. laciniata, T. leptophylla, T. nepetifolia, T. nigricans, T. ramosa, T. saxicola, T. smallii, T. urens, T. urticifolia
Synonyms T. nepetifolia var. amblyodonta
Name authority Shinners: Field & Lab. 24: 37. (1956) (Müller Arg.) Pax & K. Hoffmann: in H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. 68[IV,147]: 51. (1919)
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