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Small's noseburn

betony-leaf noseburn

Habit Herbs or subshrubs, 1.2–2.5 dm. Herbs or subshrubs, 2–5 dm.
Stems

erect, purple-green, apex never flexuous.

erect to trailing, green to whitish green, apex never 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 10–40 mm;

blade triangular-lanceolate to triangular-ovate, 1.5–6 × 1–3.5 cm, base cordate to truncate, margins serrate, apex acute.

Inflorescences

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

staminate bracts 0.8–1.2 mm.

terminal (often appearing leaf-opposed), glands absent, staminate flowers 15–80 per raceme, distally clustered;

staminate bracts 1–2 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 mm, persistent base 0.3–0.6 mm, shorter than subtending bract;

pistillate 3–4 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, sometimes red-tinged, 1.2–2.3 mm;

stamens 3(–4), filaments 0.4–1 mm.

Pistillate flowers

sepals lanceolate, 1.3–2.3 mm;

styles connate 1/4 length;

stigmas undulate.

sepals lanceolate, 1.8–5 mm;

styles connate 1/3 length;

stigmas papillate.

Capsules

9–13 mm wide.

7–9 mm wide.

Seeds

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

dark brown with light brown streaks, 3–4 mm.

2n

= 44.

Tragia smallii

Tragia betonicifolia

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall. Flowering late spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Dry, sandy oak-pine forests, prairies, disturbed grasslands. Dry, sandy soils, disturbed fields, prairies, open woods.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; KS; LA; MO; MS; OK; TN; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Plants of Tragia betonicifolia resemble those of T. urticifolia but differ in the greater number of branches from the root crowns, the shorter length of the persistent staminate flower pedicel bases, the longer, narrower pistillate sepals, and the distally clustered arrangement of the staminate flowers.

(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. amblyodonta, 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. urticifolia var. texana
Name authority Shinners: Field & Lab. 24: 37. (1956) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 173. (1835) — (as betonicaefolia)
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