Mucronea

Bentham

Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 405, 419, plate 20. 1836.

Common names: California spineflower
Etymology: Latin mucronis, sharp point, alluding to awns of bracts and involucres
Synonyms: Chorizanthe sect. Mucronea (Bentham) A. Gray
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 470. Mentioned on page 219, 220, 446.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA5 P47b Chorizanthe watsonii.jpegChorizanthe watsonii
Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu
Mucronea californica

Herbs, annual; taproot slender. Stems arising directly from the root, erect to spreading, solid, not fistulose or disarticulating into ringlike segments, sparsely glandular-pubescent. Leaves usually quickly deciduous, basal, rosulate; petiole absent; blade spatulate to obovate, margins entire. Inflorescences terminal, cymose, uniparous due to suppression of secondaries; branches dichotomous, not brittle or disarticulating into segments, round, sparsely glandular-pubescent; bracts 3 (–5), positioned to side of node or perfoliate and completely but unequally surrounding node, connate nearly completely, triangular to ovate or oblong, awned, sparsely glandular-pubescent. Peduncles absent. Involucres 1–3 per node, tubular, cylindric, (2–) 3–4-angled, slightly ventricose on the angles in some; teeth (2–) 3–4, awn-tipped. Flowers 1 (–2) per involucre; perianth white to pink, campanulate when open, cylindric when closed, pubescent abaxially; tepals 6, connate ca. 1/3 their length, monomorphic, entire or erose to fimbriate apically; stamens 6–9; filaments free, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong. Achenes mostly included, brown to black, not winged, globose-lenticular, glabrous. Seeds: embryo straight. x = 19.

Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Inflorescence bracts positioned to side of node, involucres 1-3 per node, 2.5-5(-7) mm,bracts (2-)3(-4), awns (0.5-)1-2.5 (3) mm; flowers 1-2; tepals entire apically Mucronea californica
1 Inflorescence bracts perfoliate; involucres 1 per node, 3-5(-6) mm, bracts 4, awns (0.3-)0.5-1.2 mm; flowers 1; tepals entire to fimbriate apically Mucronea perfoliata

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

... more about "Mucronea"
brown;black +
globose-lenticular +
pink +  and red +
James L. Reveal +
Bentham +
stipelike +
awn-tipped +  and simple +
spatulate;obovate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
disarticulating +  and dichotomous +
not brittle +
glandular-pubescent +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
California spineflower +
Latin mucronis, sharp point, alluding to awns of bracts and involucres +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
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 +
uniparous +  and cymose +
cymelike +, paniclelike +, racemelike +  and spikelike +
connate +  and free +
ventricose +, (2-)3-4-angled +, cylindric +  and tubular +
nonmembranous +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
deciduous +
cauline +  and basal +
bractlike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
lobed +, undulate +, crisped +, crenulate +  and entire +
glandular-pubescent +
not swollen +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
curved +  and straight +
erect to deflexed +
cylindric +  and campanulate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
Trans. Linn. Soc. London +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
6 +  and 9 +
disarticulating +  and solid +
decumbent to spreading or erect +  and prostrate +
erect +  and spreading +
glandular-pubescent +
not fistulose +
penicillate +, fimbriate +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
consisting of a series +  and tubular +
distinct +
erect;spreading or recurved +
spreading;erect +
Chorizanthe sect. Mucronea +
chambered +, , +  and solid +
Mucronea +
Polygonaceae subfam. Eriogonoideae +
erose +, entire +  and monomorphic +
fimbriate +
coriaceous +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +