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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

BOERHAVIA SPIDERLING
Annual, perennial herb.
Stem: prostrate to erect; internode often with sticky region.
Leaf: petioled; blade 1–6 cm, paler beneath, often brown-dotted.
Inflorescence: panicle-like, branches ending in umbel, spike-like raceme, or paired or solitary flowers; bracts 1–3, free, not forming involucre.
Flower: closing by evening; perianth bell-shaped, tube < 5 mm, limb < 3 mm; stamens 1–5; stigma ± spheric, generally exserted.
Fruit: < 4 mm, club-shaped; ribs 4–5; wings 0.
± 40 species: warm regions worldwide. (H. Boerhaave, Dutch botanist, 1668–1738) [Spellenberg 2003 FNANM 4:17–28]

Key to Boerhavia

1. Perianth red to purple (pale red); perennial herb; fruit glandular hairy

2. Branches hairy, generally glandular; leaves throughout plant ..... B. coccinea

2' Branches ± glabrous; leaves ± in lower 1/2 of plant ..... B. diffusa

1' Perianth pale pink to white; annual; fruit glabrous

3. Infl generally ending in umbels of 3–6(8) flowers or flowers 1 or paired ..... B. triquetra var. intermedia

3' Infl ending in spike-like raceme

4. Bracts deciduous, << fruit; fruit ribs generally 5; stem short-hairy ..... B. coulteri var. palmeri

4' Bracts ± persistent, ± = fruit; fruit ribs generally 4; stem glandular-hairy ..... B. wrightii

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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