Habit: Plant generally 0.5--2 m; sap clear.
Stem: axis erect; branches generally many, spreading to erect; twigs generally +- red, turning gray, generally hairy, glabrous in age; young lateral twigs short, sometimes becoming spine-like.
Leaf: cauline, generally clustered at short, lateral branch tips; petiole < 2 mm; blade leathery, base obtuse to acute.
Staminate Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, or panicle, occasionally clustered on short, lateral twigs, minute-bracted.
Pistillate Inflorescence: flower 1.
Staminate Flower: sepals 0.5--2 mm; filaments glabrous or hairy; nectary disk +- minute-lobed.
Pistillate Flower: sepals 2--5 mm; nectary disk minute-lobed; ovary (2)3--5-chambered, style = chamber in number, free, +- flat, generally spreading.
Fruit: +- spheric, generally lobed, glabrous or short-hairy, generally brown.
Seed: smooth, shiny.
Species In Genus: 5 species: California, Arizona, Mexico.
Etymology: (Latin: 4 seeds, from 4-lobed ovary in
Tetracoccus dioicus)
Jepson eFlora Author: Grady L. Webster
Reference: Dressler 1954 Rhodora 56:45--61
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)Key to Tetracoccus
Previous taxon: PicrodendraceaeNext taxon: Tetracoccus dioicus
