Purshia

de Candolle ex Poiret in J. Lamarck et al.

in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl., Suppl. 4: 623. 1816.

Etymology: For Frederick Traugott Pursh, 1774 – 1820, German botanist, student of North American flora
Synonyms: Cowania D. Don
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 339. Mentioned on page 326, 327, 343.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA9 P27 Dryas ajanensis subsp beringensis.jpegDryas ajanensis subsp. beringensis
Dryas integrifolia subsp. integrifolia
Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides
Purshia tridentata var. tridentata
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Marjorie C. Leggitt

Shrubs, 2–75 dm. Stems 3–20+, branched; bark cinnamon brown, weathering gray, in thin papery sheets; short-shoots present. Leaves persistent or drought-deciduous, abscising distal to bases, crowded on short-shoot spurs, simple; stipules persistent, deltate, margins entire; petiole usually absent, sometimes present; blade linear or ovate to obovate, 0.3–1.5 (–1.9) cm, coriaceous, sometimes thin, margins revolute, entire or toothed to lobed, abaxial surface usually densely hairy, adaxial glabrous or sparsely hairy. Inflorescences terminal on short-shoots, flowers solitary; bracts present resembling immature leaves; bracteoles absent. Pedicels present. Flowers 10–15 (–25) mm diam.; hypanthium obconic, sometimes hemispheric in fruit, 2.5–6.5 mm, exterior villous, stipitate-glandular or not, interior glabrous, nectariferous; sepals 5, spreading-reflexed, ovate to oblong-ovate, abaxial surface pubescent-villous; petals 5, caducous, white, cream-yellow, or yellow [rose red], broadly obovate or obovate-spatulate to spatulate, base cuneate to clawed, apex spreading, rounded to emarginate; stamens (17–) 20–80 (–125), shorter than petals; torus absent; carpels 1–15 (–31), stipitate, stigmas terminal. Fruits achenes, 1, obovoid-fusiform or oblanceoloid, 4–12 mm, leathery; hypanthium persistent; sepals persistent, spreading-reflexing. x = 9.

Distribution

sw United States, n Mexico

Discussion

Species 6 (4 in the flora).

This treatment combines Cowania (with 3–31 carpels that develop into wind-dispersed achenes with plumose awns) with Purshia (with 1–3 carpels that form into larger, leathery achenes with persistent style bases that are often dispersed by rodents that cache the fruits for later use). This is supported by the presence of intergeneric hybrids, by the similar vegetative and floral morphologies, except for carpel number and means of fruit dispersal, and by molecular data. The roots are often associated with the nitrogen-fixing actinomycete Frankia. Some species are important browse for ungulates.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Carpels 1 or 2; achenes broadly obovoid-fusiform, 3.5–5.2 mm diam., persistent style 5–7(–10) mm, densely hirtellous. Purshia tridentata
1 Carpels (2–)5–15(–31); achenes oblanceoloid, 1.1–2.5 mm diam., persistent style (15–)20–59 mm, plumose > 2
2 Leaf blades oblong to spatulate, margins irregularly lobed, lobes (3–)5(–7). Purshia stansburyana
2 Leaf blades linear to oblanceolate or linear-subulate, margins entire or with 1–2 teeth or lobes > 3
3 Leaf blades: margins revolute (not obscuring abaxial surfaces), entire or with 1–2 teeth or lobes; petals light yellowish cream; stamens (28–)34–54; carpels (2–)4–5(–6). Purshia subintegra
3 Leaf blades: margins strongly revolute (nearly obscuring abaxial surfaces), entire; petals white or suffused with red; stamens (60–)80–120; carpels (12–)17–31. Purshia ericifolia

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Purshia"
pubescent-villous +  and hairy +
hairy +  and glabrous +
rounded;emarginate +
James Henrickson +
de Candolle ex Poiret in J. Lamarck et al. +
gray +  and cinnamon brown +
weathering +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
cuneate +  and clawed +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (1.9 cm19 mm <br />0.019 m <br />) +
ovate +  and obovate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
free +  and distinct +
sw United States +  and n Mexico +
not +  and aggregated +
For Frederick Traugott Pursh, 1774 – 1820, German botanist, student of North American flora +
nectariferous +
glabrous +, not +, stipitate-glandular +  and villous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
oblanceoloid +  and obovoid-fusiform +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
hemispheric +  and obconic +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
crassinucellate +
drought-deciduous +  and persistent +
immature +  and abscising +
toothed +  and lobed +
inferior +  and superior +
clustered +, biseriate +  and superposed +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
yellow +, cream-yellow +  and white +
free +  and distinct +
obovate-spatulate;spatulate +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl., Suppl. +
not arillate +
persistent +
free +  and distinct +
spreading-reflexing +  and spreading-reflexed +
ovate +  and oblong-ovate +
free +  and distinct +
3 +  and 20 +
adnate +  and free +
persistent +
distinct +
basal +, lateral +, subterminal +  and terminal +
elongate +
Cowania +
Purshia +
Rosaceae tribe Dryadeae +
inconspicuous +
hemispheric +