Mirabilis longiflora

Linnaeus

Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 16: 176, plate 6, fig. 1. 1755.

Illustrated
Synonyms: Mirabilis longiflora var. wrightiana (A. Gray ex Britton & Kearney) Kearney & Peebles
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 43. Mentioned on page 41.

Stems usually several, 5–15 dm; herbage lightly puberulent basally, glandular-puberulent [glandular-villous] distally. Leaves at midstem with petiole 2–6 cm; blade usually cordate, less often deltate, ovate, or ovatelanceolate, 5–14 × 3–8 cm. Inflorescences dense clusters of flowers among conspicuous foliaceous bracts 5–20 mm; peduncle 0.5–2 mm; bracts 40–60% connate, 7–11 mm in flower, 10–18 mm in fruit, apex triangular to narrowly triangular. Flowers: perianth white, tube blushed with green or purple, (7–) 8–15 (–17) cm, pubescent externally. Fruits black to dark-brown, bluntly 5-angled in cross-section, with low black to dark-brown [white] irregular tubercles between angles, ovoid to slightly obovoid, 7-12 mm, base abruptly constricted to truncate, apex tapered to truncate, puberulent between tubercles. 2n = 58.


Phenology: Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat: Rocky canyons and slopes
Elevation: 800-2300[-2700] m

Distribution

V4 78-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., N.Mex., Tex., Mexico, in Europe

Discussion

A. Le Duc (1995) and B. L. Turner (1993b) recognized two varieties, Mirabilis longiflora var. longiflora, restricted to the Mexican trans-volcanic belt, and var. wrightiana found from central Mexico to the southwestern United States. Recent United States floras have recognized only the var. wrightiana, both varieties, or have not recognized infraspecific taxa north of the Mexican border. Characters used to distinguish the varieties are thoroughly mixed. H. M. Hernández (1990) found an absence of insect visitors in this apparently sphingid-adapted species, with the plants self-compatible and probably highly autogamous.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Mirabilis longiflora"
puberulent +
tapered;truncate +
Richard W. Spellenberg +
Linnaeus +
glutinous +
constricted +
woody +, leathery +  and fleshy +
black +  and dark-brown +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
ovatelanceolate;ovate;ovatelanceolate;ovate;deltate;cordate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
persistent +
conspicuous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
corollalike +  and petaloid +
sessile +, petiolate +  and short +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Mexico +  and in Europe +
800-2300[-2700] m +
curved +  and straight +
inconspicuous +  and showy +
cleistogamous +, chasmogamous +  and bisexual +
black +  and dark-brown +
ovoid +  and slightly obovoid +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Rocky canyons and slopes +
glandular-puberulent +  and puberulent +
bell--shaped +
accrescent +
herbaceous;papery +
sessile +  and petiolate +
distributed +
unequal +
5-lobed +  and flared +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
sinuate +  and entire +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
chasmogamous +  and cleistogamous +
campanulate +
constricted +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Flowering summer–early fall. +
Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl. +
not evident +  and defined +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
coriaceous +
thick +  and thin +
fibrous;fleshy +
membranaceous +
ribbed +, 10-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and warty +
wrinkled +
Illustrated +
erect +  and decumbent +
fusiform +  and linear +
filiform +
mucilaginous +
glabrate +  and puberulent +
tuberculate +, low +  and smooth +
Mirabilis longiflora var. wrightiana +
ropelike +  and swollen +
Mirabilis longiflora +
Mirabilis sect. Mirabilis +
species +
gland-tipped +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br />) +
,;blushed with green or blushed with purple +
expanded +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +