Family: Boraginaceae
Plagiobothrys
Citation:
Fischer & C. Meyer, Ind. Semin. Petrop. 2:46 (1835).
Derivation: Greek plagios, oblique or lateral; bothros, a pit; alluding to the scar on the side of the mericarps.
Synonymy: Maccoya F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 1:127 (1859).
Common name: None
Description:
Annuals with usually more or less appressed forward-directed hairs of similar size, branched mainly from the base; leaves opposite, clustered and with a broad sheath in the basal rosette becoming alternate, scattered and without a sheath above.
Inflorescence with scorpioid cymes with widely spaced flowers, with leaf-like bracts; sepals 5-8, scarcely connate basally, elongating somewhat after flowering; corolla regular, cylindrical, glabrous, without pouches in the throat; stamens inserted at about the middle of the corolla tube, with anthers almost sessile, constricted at the apex but without an appendage; ovary 4-lobed, without a nectary, with a style inserted near the base, short (one-third to one-half the length of the corolla tube) and a capitate stigma.
Fruit with 2-4 mericarps more or less easily splitting from the central gynobase; mericarps ovoid, gradually tapering into an apical point with a vertical ridge usually becoming part of the rugose-tuberculate reticulum with a scar of attachment lanceolate and in the lower third on the inside.
Distribution:
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About 100 species in the western parts of America except for the 4 species native to temperate regions of Australia; 1 species naturalised in Australia.
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Biology:
No text
Key to Species:
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1. Calyx 5-8, woody and clasping the fruit but apices spreading to recurved |
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P. plurisepaleus 3. |
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1. Calyx 5, tough, erect and loosely sheathing the fruits and with erect apices |
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2. Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate, obtuse; mericarps coarsely reticulate and with the scar of attachment raised |
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P. elachanthus 1. |
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2. Basal leaves linear-triangular, tapering into a point; mericarps finely rugose-reticulate, granulate to tubereulate |
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P. orthostatus 2. |
Author:
Not yet available
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