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NYCTAGINACEAE FOUR O'CLOCK FAMILY

Andy Murdock, except as noted

Annual, perennial herb, subshrub, [ shrub, tree], glabrous or hairy.
Stem: often forked.
Leaf: opposite, sessile or petioled, pairs generally unequal; blade generally entire.
Inflorescence: generally forked; spike, head-like cluster, or umbel, flowers rarely 1, bracts forming a calyx-like involucre or not.
Flower: bisexual, generally ± radial ( bilateral), sometimes cleistogamous in some genera; perianth of 1 whorl, generally petal-like, bell- to trumpet-shaped, base hardened, tightly surrounding ovary in fruit, lobes 3–5, generally notched to ± lobed; stamens 1–many; ovary superior (appearing inferior due to hardened perianth base), style 1.
Fruit: achene in hardened perianth base; round to ± flat; smooth, angled, ribbed, or winged; glabrous, hairy, or glandular.
30 genera, 350 species: warm regions, especially Am; some ornamental (Bougainvillea; Mirabilis, four o'clock). [Spellenberg 2003 FNANM 4:14–17] —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Nyctaginaceae

MIRABILIS FOUR O'CLOCK
Perennial, subshrub.
Stem: repeatedly forked, decumbent to erect.
Leaf: generally petioled.
Inflorescence: branches ending in umbel-like cluster or solitary flowers; bracts 5(9), ± fused (or not) into calyx-like, bell- to saucer-shaped involucre; flowers in 1 involucre 1–16, generally not blooming together; flowers cleistogamous or not.
Flower: radial or ± bilateral; perianth funnel- to bell-shaped, lobes 5; stamens 3–5, generally exserted; stigma ± spheric, generally exserted.
Fruit: ± round to club-shaped; ribs or angles 0, 5, 10; wings 0.
± 60 species: Am, Himalayas. (Latin: wonderful) [Spellenberg 2003 FNANM 4:40–57] Fls open in evening, close in morning; species intergrade, taxonomy unsettled.

Key to Mirabilis

M. tenuiloba S. Watson SLENDER-LOBED FOUR O'CLOCK
NATIVE

Stem: trailing to erect, < 5 dm, glandular-hairy.
Leaf: ascending; blade 2.5–5 cm, narrowly to broadly triangular, glandular-hairy.
Inflorescence: involucres ± densely clustered in upper axils, narrowly bell-shaped, spreading glandular-hairy, 1-flowered; bracts 5, 8–13 mm, lobes > tube, narrowly lanceolate.
Flower: perianth 12–15 mm, funnel-shaped, ± white, lightly hairy.
Fruit: ± 5 mm, ovoid, unmarked, black-brown, glabrous.
Rocky slopes in desert scrub; < 500 m. w Sonoran Desert; Baja California. Mar–May [Online Interchange] {CNPS list}

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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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Bioregions in which taxon occursRed area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon;
markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
map of distribution 1

Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records.
Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.
Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
View all CCH records

 

CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa.
Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.