Boerhavia purpurascens

A. Gray

Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 15: 321. 1853.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 25. Mentioned on page 18.

Herbs, annual; taproot tapered, soft or ± woody. Stems erect or ascending, unbranched when small to branched ca. 1–5 times throughout, 10–60 dm, minutely puberulent to glandular-pubescent basally, usually glandular-pubescent, sometimes minutely puberulent or glabrous distally. Leaves mostly in basal 1/2; larger leaves with petiole 2–22 mm, blade oval, ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 12–37 × 5–20 mm (distal leaves smaller, proportionately narrower), adaxial surface glabrate, sparsely puberulent, sometimes glandular-pubescent, abaxial surface not noticeably to prominently paler than adaxial, glabrate or occasionally glandular-pubescent, both surfaces usually punctate with dark cells, base round to obtuse, margins sinuate to sinuate-crisped, apex acute, obtuse, or round. Inflorescences terminal, branched ca. 1–4 times unequally, without sticky internodal bands; branches strongly ascending, terminating in compact, capitate or subcapitate flower clusters, axis 0–2.5 mm. Flowers: pedicel 0.8–2.5 mm; bracts at base of perianth persistent, 1–3, ovate to obovate, 2.5–4 mm, apex apiculate; perianth whitish to pale-pink, funnelform beyond constriction, 2.5–4 mm; stamens 3–4 (–5), well exserted. Fruits 3–9 per cluster, straw colored to grayish tan, broadly obovoid, 2.3–3 × 1.3–1.7 mm (l/w: 1.6–2.1), apex round or broadly obtuse, glabrous; ribs 5, acute, smooth; sulci 2–2.5 times as wide as base of ribs, not or shallowly rugose, lightly papillate.


Phenology: Flowering late summer.
Habitat: Sandy soils in open arid grasslands, among open shrubs or oaks, pinyon pines, juniper [thornscrub]
Elevation: [200-]1300-1800 m

Distribution

V4 38-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., N.Mex., Mexico (Chihuahua), Mexico (Sonora)

Discussion

The inclusion of Boerhavia purpurascens in recent Texas floras is based upon misidentified Mirabilis species (C. F. Reed 1969).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Boerhavia purpurascens"
noticeably to prominently paler +
glandular-pubescent +  and glabrate +
glandular-pubescent +, puberulent +  and glabrate +
obtuse;round;round;obtuse;round;obtuse;acute +
Richard W. Spellenberg +
A. Gray +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
glutinous +
symmetric +  and asymmetric +
persistent +
1 +  and 3 +
round +  and obtuse +
unequal +
woody +, leathery +  and fleshy +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br />) +
lanceolate;oblong;lanceolate;oblong;ovate;oval +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
distinct +
ovate +  and obovate +
minute +  and not accrescent +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
corollalike +  and petaloid +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Mexico (Chihuahua) +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
[200-]1300-1800 m +
curved +  and straight +
subcapitate +  and capitate +
inconspicuous +  and showy +
1 +  and 80 +
chasmogamous +  and bisexual +
straw colored +  and grayish tan +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
3 +  and 9 +
obovoid +
coriaceous +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
Sandy soils in open arid grasslands, among open shrubs or oaks, pinyon pines, juniper [thornscrub] +
1-4 times without sticky internodal bands +
unequal +
(4-)5-lobed +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
sinuate +  and sinuate-crisped +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (?) +
whitish;pale-pink +
widely +  and campanulate +
constricted +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
Flowering late summer. +
Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. +
glandular-pubescent +, glabrous +  and smooth +
thick +  and thin +
fibrous;fleshy +
membranaceous +
ribbed +, 10-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and warty +
wrinkled +
ascending +  and erect +
fusiform +  and linear +
filiform +
papillate +  and rugose +
2-2.5 times as wide as base +
woody +  and soft +
Boerhavia purpurascens +
Boerhavia +
species +
umbellate +, subumbellate +, spicate +  and cymose +
capitate +  and subcapitate +
singly +  and racemose +
gland-tipped +
expanded +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and glandular +
fusiform +  and ropelike +