Schistophragma intermedium

(A. Gray) Pennell

Notul. Nat. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 43: 2. 1940.

Common names: Harlequin spiralseed
Illustrated
Basionym: Conobea intermedia A. Gray in W. H. Emory Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 117. 1859
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 275. Mentioned on page 274.

Stems simple or branching, 3–10 (–15) cm. Leaves 2 per node; blade ovate to lanceolate, 10–20 × 3–10 mm, ultimate segments ovate to obovate. Pedicels ascending, 1–2 (–4) mm in flower, 2–5 (–7) mm in fruit, glabrous or glandular-villosulous. Flowers: calyx not falcate, abaxial lobe shorter than adaxial lobes, 2–4 × 0.3–0.5 mm, glabrous or glandular-villosulous; corolla glabrous, tube funnelform, 5–6 mm, throat open, pale-yellow, lobes spreading, violet to purple, usually with darker lines, 1.5–2 × 1–2 mm; stamens included; style 2–2.5 mm. Capsules green or purple, ovoid, 4–6 (–8) × 1.5–2.5 mm, slightly upcurved. Seeds shallowly reticulate, longitudinally spiraled. 2n = 40.


Phenology: Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat: Dry, sunny slopes and washes.
Elevation: 1000–2500 m.

Distribution

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

Discussion

Schistophragma intermedium is closely related to Leucospora multifida, which has two or three (or four) leaves per node, corolla tubes 2–3 mm, and smaller fruits with obtuse or rounded apices. Schistophragma intermedium might be confused with species of Verbena due to the pinnatifid leaves and purple tubular corollas; the flowers of Schistophragma are solitary in leaf axils, and the corollas are bilabiate.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
glandular-villosulous +  and glabrous +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
Kerry A. Barringer +
(A. Gray) Pennell +
alternate +, opposite +, whorled +, helical +  and subopposite +
Conobea intermedia +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
ovate;lanceolate +
not leathery +  and not fleshy +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
not falcate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
purple +  and green +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
Harlequin spiralseed +
purple +  and pink +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Mexico (Chihuahua) +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
drupe-like +
1000–2500 m. +
curved +  and straight +
1 +  and 4 +
Dry, sunny slopes and washes. +
persistent +  and deciduous +
violet +  and purple +
triangular +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
pinnatifid +
axile +  and parietal +
basal +, apical +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, unitegmic +  and hemitropous +
campylotropous +, hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
glandular-villosulous +  and glabrous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
5 +  and 4 +
Flowering Jul–Sep. +
Notul. Nat. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia +
minute +
brown +  and yellow +
fusiform +, ovoid +  and ridged +
Illustrated +
branching +  and simple +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
climbing +  and scrambling +
sprawling +, creeping +  and prostrate +
ascending;erect +
glandular-hairy +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
Schistophragma intermedium +
Schistophragma +
species +
pale-yellow +
gibbous +  and not spurred +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +