Brunnichia ovata

(Walter) Shinners

Sida 3: 115. 1967.

WeedyIllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Rajania ovata Walter Fl. Carol., 247. 1788
Synonyms: Brunnichia cirrhosa Gaertner
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 483.

Stems running on/in soil or water, rooting at nodes, younger ones climbing by tendrils, branched, terete, to 13 m, larger ones to 2 cm diam., soft-woody. Leaves: ocrea obscure, (0.1–) 0.5–1 mm, usually fringed with reddish-brown hairs; petiole dilated at base, 7–25 mm, glabrous or pubescent; blade 3–15 × 1.5–8 cm, base truncate to subcordate to broadly cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous or slightly pubescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Inflorescences 5–26 cm; peduncle (0.1–) 5–35 mm. Pedicels jointed proximal to middle, 0.5–1 cm. Flowers: tepals linear-oblong to oblong, margins entire, apex acute; stamens prominently exserted. Achenes 8–10 × 3–5 mm, subglossy. 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat: Riverbanks, margins of lakes, edges of wet woods and thickets
Elevation: 0-200 m

Distribution

V5 1007-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ky., La., Miss., Mo., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va.

Discussion

There has been some question regarding the valid name of this species, whether Brunnichia ovata or B. cirrhosa. The problem stems from the almost simultaneous publication of Rajania ovata Swartz (Dioscoreaceae) and R. ovata (Polygonaceae), the basionym of the now-accepted name of the only North American species of Brunnichia. The best evidence indicates that the Walter name was published between April and June 1788, while W. T. Stern (1980) put the date of publication of the Swartz name between 20 June and 31 July 1788, but suggested that July 1788 be accepted as the month of publication. Under that interpretation, the Swartz name is a later homonym, and the epithet of the Walter name is the earliest available for this species.

The most often used English common name for Brunnichia ovata alludes to the fruit’s resemblance to an ear pendant. Fruits often persist on these interesting ornamentals until the following spring.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Brunnichia ovata"
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
3-gonous +
pink +  and red +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
acute;acute;acuminate +
Walter C. Holmes +
(Walter) Shinners +
truncate +  and subcordate +
Rajania ovata +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
ovate;ovatelanceolate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
foliaceous +  and perfoliate +
scale-like +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ky. +, La. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Okla. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +  and Va. +
0-200 m +
adnate +  and distinct +
disarticulating +  and solid +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
unwinged +  and winged +
black +, red +, brown +  and yellowish +
exserted +  and included +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
spheroidal +, 4-gonous +, lenticular +, biconvex +, discoid +, 3-gonous +  and 2-gonous +
Riverbanks, margins of lakes, edges of wet woods and thickets +
reddish-brown +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (26 cm260 mm <br />0.26 m <br />) +
nonmembranous +
deciduous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
lobed +, undulate +, crisped +, crenulate +  and entire +
swollen +
partly +  and foliaceous +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
persistent +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
anatropous +, , +  and orthotropous +
proximal +  and middle +
accrescent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
spreading;erect +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
greenish;greenish yellow +
campanulate +
accrescent +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Flowering Jun–Jul. +
(2-)3(-4)-carpellate +
slender;stout +
Weedy +, Illustrated +  and Endemic +
branched +  and rooting +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
usually prostrate +  and erect +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
larger +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1,300 cm13,000 mm <br />13 m <br />) +
soft-woody +
penicillate +, fimbriate +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
distinct +
spreading;erect +
spreading;erect +
Brunnichia cirrhosa +
Brunnichia ovata +
Brunnichia +
species +
simple +  and branched +
linear-oblong +  and oblong +
subequal +
coriaceous +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
expanded +