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, shrubs, generally bristly or sharply hairy
Stem prostrate to erect
Leaves cauline, often with basal rosette, generally simple, alternate; lower sometimes opposite, entire
Inflorescence: cyme, generally elongate, panicle-, raceme- or spike-like, coiled in flower, generally uncoiled in fruit or flowers 12 per axil
Flowers generally bisexual, generally radial; sepals 5, free or fused in lower half; corolla 5-lobed, generally salverform, top of tube generally appendaged, appendages 5, alternating with stamens, sometimes arching over tube; stamens 5, epipetalous; ovary superior, generally 4-lobed, style generally entire
Fruit: nutlets 14, smooth to variously roughened, sometimes prickly or bristled
Genera in family: ± 100 genera, ± 2000 species: tropical, temp, especially w North America, Medit; some cultivated (Borago, Echium, Myosotis, Symphytum ).Almost all genera may be TOXIC from alkaloids or accumulated nitrates
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Hydrophyllaceae [Olmsted et al. 2000 Mol Phylog Evol 16:96112]
Family description, key to genera by Timothy C. Messick.
Annual
Stem 240 cm, strigose, breaking apart at nodes or not
Leaves generally alternate, generally 0.54 cm, ± linear, strigose to sharp-bristled
Inflorescence: pedicel in fruit generally free from nutlets, generally recurved
Flower: sepals generally < fruit, upper 2 in fruit generally > others; corolla 0.83 mm, white; style attached to receptacle, unbranched, generally persistent, stigma 1, head-like
Fruit: nutlets generally 4, spreading, 14.5 mm, generally paired, generally compressed, marginal prickles hooked at tip, not barbed; nutlet pairs or all 4 often dissimilar in shape, ornamentation, margin width
Species in genus: 15 species: CA to B.C., WY, TX, n Mex; also South America
Etymology: (Greek: comb nut, from dentate nutlet margins in some species)
Reference: [Veno 1979 PhD dissertation UCLA]
Horticultural information: STBL.
Native |
Stem prostrate to ascending, 224 cm
Inflorescence: pedicel in fruit 11.5 mm
Flowers: basal cleistogamous; in fruit lower 3 sepals ± equal
Fruit: nutlets 1.12 mm, elliptic to ovate; basal nutlets 24 per flower, not paired, reflexed, 13 unmargined, others narrowly ± dentate-margined; cauline nutlets paired, generally straight, margins narrowly to widely membranous, ± dentate
Chromosomes: n=12
Ecology: Washes, roadsides, clearings
Elevation: 30300 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sonoran Desert
Distribution outside California: Baja California