Boerhavia megaptera

Standley

Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 379. 1909.

Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 24. Mentioned on page 19.

Herbs, annual; taproot tapered, soft or ± woody. Stems usually erect or ascending, occasionally decumbent, branched several times, primarily distally, 3–6 dm, minutely puberulent with bent hairs and sometimes also glandular-hairs in basal portions; sparsely to moderately puberulent distally. Leaves mostly in basal 1/2 of plant; larger leaves with petiole 12–17 mm, blade oblong-lanceolate, 25–50 × 10–17 mm (distal leaves smaller, sometimes longer, proportionately narrower), adaxial surface glabrous or very sparsely puberulent, often punctate, abaxial surface paler than adaxial, glabrous or very sparsely puberulent, usually punctate with small dark-brown cells, base round, obtuse, or truncate, margins entire or slightly and irregularly crenulate, apex broadly to narrowly acute. Inflorescences terminal, forked ± unevenly ca. 3–4 times, with sticky internodal bands; branches strongly ascending, terminating in umbels (rarely flowers borne singly). Flowers: pedicel 1–2 mm; bracts at base of perianth quickly deciduous, 2, lanceolate, 0.6–1.5 mm; perianth whitish to pale-pink, campanulate distal to constriction, 1–1.5 mm; stamens 3–4, barely exserted. Fruits (1–) 3–14 per umbel, straw colored at maturity, broadly obconic, emarginate in profile (wings extended beyond apex of body), 3.2–3.8 × 2.2–2.6 mm (l/w: 1.3–1.5), glabrous; ribs 5, winglike, smooth; sulci 1–2 times as wide as base of ribs, smooth or very slightly rugose, not papillate.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Rocky ground, among desert shrubs or trees
Elevation: 700-1300 m

Discussion

Boerhavia megaptera is often sympatric with B. intermedia.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Boerhavia megaptera"
puberulent +  and glabrous +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
Richard W. Spellenberg +
Standley +
glutinous +
deciduous +
obtuse +  and round +
unequal +
woody +, leathery +  and fleshy +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
oblong-lanceolate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
distinct +
lanceolate +
minute +  and not accrescent +
0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
corollalike +  and petaloid +
small dark-brown +
700-1300 m +
curved +  and straight +
inconspicuous +  and showy +
1 +  and 80 +
chasmogamous +  and bisexual +
straw colored +
0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br /> (0.38 cm3.8 mm <br />0.0038 m <br />) +
3 +  and 14 +
obconic +
coriaceous +
0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br /> (0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br />) +
Rocky ground, among desert shrubs or trees +
thyrsiform +, cymose +  and pedunculate +
3-4 times with sticky internodal bands +
unequal +
(4-)5-lobed +
slightly +  and entire +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
crenulate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +
whitish;pale-pink +
campanulate +
constricted +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
Flowering summer–fall. +
Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. +
glandular-pubescent +, glabrous +  and smooth +
rounded +
thick +  and thin +
fibrous;fleshy +
membranaceous +
ribbed +, 10-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and warty +
wrinkled +
ascending +  and erect +
puberulent +
fusiform +  and linear +
filiform +
not papillate +  and rugose +
1-2 times as wide as base +
woody +  and soft +
Boerhavia megaptera +
Boerhavia +
species +
umbellate +, subumbellate +, spicate +  and cymose +
capitate +  and subcapitate +
singly +  and racemose +
gland-tipped +
expanded +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and glandular +
fusiform +  and ropelike +