Phaulothamnus spinescens

A. Gray

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 294. 1885.

Common names: Snake-eyes putia
Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 13. Mentioned on page 10.

Plants erect, to 2.5 m, glabrous. Leaves sessile or petiolate; blade to 35 × 12 mm, broadest distal to middle; petiole ± 1 mm. Flowers yellow-green; tepals 4, 2.5 × 2 mm. Berries gray-translucent to white, tinged with green, borne on peduncle 0.5–2 × 4–5 mm diam. Seed black, 1–2 mm, granular and rugose, visible through fruit wall.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall; fruiting fall–winter.
Habitat: Sandy to clayey soils in thickets, wooded areas
Elevation: 0-200 m

Distribution

V4 23-distribution-map.gif

Tex., Mexico (Baja California), Mexico (Nuevo León), Mexico (Sonora), Mexico (Tamaulipas)

Discussion

Phaulothamnus spinescens is very infrequent, scattered in the lower south Texas plains and adjacent Mexico. Because the seeds are black and easily seen within the translucent fruits, the fruits give the appearance of a small eye, hence the common name snake-eyes.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Phaulothamnus spinescens"
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (?) +
narrowed +, mucronate +, retuse +  and rounded to somewhat +
Barney L. Lipscomb +
A. Gray +
tinged with green +, gray-translucent +  and white +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
compressed +  and globose +
juicy +  and thin-coriaceous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
distal +  and middle +
spatulate;oblanceolate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Snake-eyes +  and putia +
Tex. +, Mexico (Baja California) +, Mexico (Nuevo León) +, Mexico (Sonora) +  and Mexico (Tamaulipas) +
0-200 m +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
pistillate +, staminate +  and bracteate +
yellow-green +
Sandy to clayey soils in thickets, wooded areas +
petiolate +  and sessile +
clustered +  and alternate +
deciduous +
pinnate +  and entire +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
Flowering summer–fall +  and fruiting fall–winter. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
lenticular +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Illustrated +
papillose +
filiform +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
Phaulothamnus spinescens +
Phaulothamnus +
species +
persistent +
distinct +
concave;suborbicular;obovate +