Bernardia obovata

I. M. Johnston

J. Arnold Arbor. 21: 261. 1940.

Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 184. Mentioned on page 183.

Shrubs to 0.8 m. Leaves: stipules caducous, green to straw colored, not thickened, without dark resinous exudate; petiole 0.5–3 (–4) mm; blade usually obovate to cuneate, rarely broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, 0.6–3 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins flat, crenate-serrate, laminar glands 1 (–2), abaxial surface green, sparsely spreading stellate-pubescent, adaxial surface green, sparsely stellate-pubescent to glabrate; veins not prominent abaxially, ± level with surface. Inflorescences: staminate thyrses 5–10 mm. Staminate flowers: stamens 3–4 (–6), nectary glands claviform. Pistillate flowers: pistil 2-carpellate; styles 2, irregularly dissected adaxially. Capsules 5 mm, 2-lobed.


Phenology: Flowering spring; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat: Canyon washes in high desert scrub.
Elevation: 800–1900 m.

Distribution

V12 810-distribution-map.jpg

N.Mex., Tex., Mexico (Chihuahua), Mexico (Coahuila), Mexico (Sonora)

Discussion

Bernardia obovata is a Chihuahuan Desert endemic occurring in the flora area only from the trans-Pecos of west Texas to the San Andres Mountains of southern New Mexico (K. W. Allred 2002b). The bicarpellate pistil is apparently unique within Bernardia.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"connate" is not a number. "distinct" is not a number.

... more about "Bernardia obovata"
stellate-pubescent +
sparsely stellate-pubescent +  and glabrate +
Mark H. Mayfield +
I. M. Johnston +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
usually obovate;cuneate rarely broadly elliptic +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
flattened +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Mexico (Chihuahua) +, Mexico (Coahuila) +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
800–1900 m. +
pistillate +  and staminate +
Canyon washes in high desert scrub. +
proximal +  and abaxial +
persistent +
palmate +  and pinnate +
coarsely crenate +  and crenate-serrate +
intrastaminal +
pistillate +  and staminate +
connate;distinct +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Flowering spring +  and fruiting summer–fall. +
J. Arnold Arbor. +
subglobose +
distinct +
Illustrated +
green +  and straw colored +
distinct +
dissected +
Bernardia obovata +
Bernardia +
species +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
evergreen +, deciduous +, perennial +, biennial +  and annual +