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AMARANTHACEAE

AMARANTH FAMILY

James Henrickson

Annual to tree
Stem prostrate to erect
Leaves alternate or opposite, simple, generally entire, bract-like upward; stipules 0
Inflorescence: cymes, often arrayed ± in spikes or panicles; bracts 1–3 per flower, generally membranous-scarious, tip often short-pointed or spine-like
Flower generally small, uni- or bisexual, radial; sepals 0–5, fused at base or free, often ± scarious; petals 0; stamens 0–5, opposite sepals (staminodes sometimes alternating), filaments sometimes fused at base; ovary superior, 1-chambered, ovules 1–several, erect or pendent on ± basal stalks, styles 0–3, stigma head-like or 2–3-lobed
Fruit: utricle to circumscissile capsule
Seed lenticular to spheric, hard
Genera in family: ± 65 genera, ± 900 species: tropical, subtropical
Reference: [Robertson 1981 J Arnold Arbor 62:267–313]

TIDESTROMIA

Annual to subshrub, ± mounded; hairs short, branched
Leaves entire, often asymmetric, petioled; lowest alternate to opposite; upper opposite or whorled in 3's, generally reduced, larger falling early
Inflorescence: clusters of 1–5 flowers, axillary, sessile, subtended and ± enclosed by involucres of 2–3 bract-like leaves that become hardened; bracts scarious
Flower bisexual; sepals 5, 1–1.5 mm, 1-veined, glabrous inside, sometimes canescent outside, reflexed, inner scarious-margined; stamens 5, filaments fused below into a cup, alternate 5 short staminodes; ovary spheric, style 1, short, stigma head-like or 2-lobed
Fruit indehiscent; wall membranous
Seed obovoid, brown
Species in genus: 7 species: w North America deserts
Etymology: (Ivar T. Tidestrom, Swedish-born botanist of sw US, 1864–1956)

Native

T. oblongifolia (S. Watson) Standl.

Perennial 1–9 dm, < or = 15 dm wide
Leaves: upper, persistent leaves 2–4(8) mm; blade 10–30(65) mm, narrowly ovate to round, base ± obliquely wedge-shaped, persistently grayish white-canescent
Flower: sepals 1.3–1.7 mm; filament tube 0.2 mm, free filaments < or = 0.5 mm
Ecology: Common. Washes, rocky hillsides
Elevation: < 1200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Desert
Distribution outside California: Nevada, Arizona, n Baja California
Flowering time: Apr–Dec
Synonyms: subsp. cryptantha (S. Watson) Wiggins
Horticultural information: TRY; STBL only.

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