| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, perennial herb, non-green root-parasite
Stem (actually a peduncle) fleshy, underground, generally unbranched, white or ± brown
Leaves scale-like, alternate
Inflorescence: panicle, spike, or head
Flower bisexual, ± radial; calyx lobes 4–10; corolla lobes 4–10; stamens as many as corolla lobes, epipetalous, included; ovary superior, chambers 10–32, placentas axile, style 1, stigma lobes 5–9
Fruit: capsule, circumscissile, hidden by persistent perianth
Seeds in a ring, 1 per chamber, ± reniform, flat, brown
Genera in family: 2 genera, 4 species: sw US to n South America, nowhere common; some historically harvested for food
Reference: [Yatskievych & Mason 1986 Syst Bot 11:531–548]
Perennial
Stem < 1.5 m
Leaf 5–25 mm, linear to triangular, glandular
Flower 7–10 mm
Fruit ± circumscissile below middle
Species in genus: 3 species: s CA, w AZ, nw Mex
Etymology: (Greek: scale, from scaly stem)