Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia

(Choisy) Spellenberg

Sida 19: 549. 2001.

Illustrated
Basionym: Oxybaphus glabrifolius var. crassifolius Choisy in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 431. 1849
Synonyms: Hesperonia californica (A. Gray) Standley Hesperonia cedrosensis Standley Hesperonia heimerlii Standley Mirabilis californica A. Gray Mirabilis californica var. cedrosensis (Standley) J. F. Macbride Mirabilis californica var. cordifolia (Dunkle) Dunkle Mirabilis heimerlii Mirabilis laevis var. cedrosensis (Standley) Munz Mirabilis laevis var. cordifolia Dunkle
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 48. Mentioned on page 47.

Stems few-to-many in clumps, often glabrous basally, viscid-pubescent or ± scabrous distally. Leaf-blades 1–4.5 × 0.4–3.5 cm. Inflorescences ± thyrselike, often narrow; involucres in clusters on short branches along main axis after first few dichotomous branches, 5–9 mm; bracts 30–70% connate, lobes ovate or ovate-oblong, base often 50–70% of height, apex obtuse or acute. Flowers: perianth usually pink, lavender, or magenta, rarely white. Fruits dark to pale gray-brown and mottled with dark gray-brown, tan, or redbrown, sometimes also faintly and irregularly pale striped, ovoid, 3–5 × 2.7–3.7 mm.


Phenology: Flowering ± year-round, most vigorously in spring.
Habitat: Brush or open woodlands, banks, bluffs, open hillsides, washes
Elevation: 0-1800 m

Distribution

V4 91-distribution-map.gif

Calif., Mexico (Baja California), Mexico (Baja California Sur)

Discussion

In recent floras Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia has been treated as M. californica or M. laevis. The California specimen of M. tenuiloba var. polyphylla (Standley) J. F. Macbride cited by Macbride (1918) [M. polyphylla (Standley) Standley] is considered to be M. laevis var. crassifolia. It has fruiting involucres at the upper range of its length, similar to some plants from the Channel Islands. In Baja California, indigenous peoples have used the plants of var. crassifolia to alleviate stomach ailments.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

acute;obtuse +
Richard W. Spellenberg +
(Choisy) Spellenberg +
glutinous +
obtuse +, truncate +  and cordate +
constricted +
woody +, leathery +  and fleshy +
Oxybaphus glabrifolius var. crassifolius +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
subreniform;ovate-rhombic;deltate-ovate;ovate +
fleshy +  and slightly succulent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
persistent +
corollalike +  and petaloid +
branched +, congested +  and open +
sessile +, petiolate +  and short +
Calif. +, Mexico (Baja California) +  and Mexico (Baja California Sur) +
0-1800 m +
curved +  and straight +
inconspicuous +  and showy +
cleistogamous +, chasmogamous +  and bisexual +
pale striped +, dark +  and pale gray-brown and mottled with dark gray-brown punct tan or redbrown +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br /> (0.37 cm3.7 mm <br />0.0037 m <br />) +
Brush or open woodlands, banks, bluffs, open hillsides, washes +
bell--shaped +
accrescent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
herbaceous;papery +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
0.4cm;3.5cm +
distributed +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
unequal +
5-lobed +
rugose +  and smooth +
spheric +, obovoid +  and ovoid +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
ovate-oblong +  and ovate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
sinuate +  and entire +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
white;magenta;lavender;magenta;lavender;pink +
chasmogamous +  and cleistogamous +
5-lobed +  and flared +
constricted +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
Flowering ± year-round, most vigorously in spring. +
not evident +  and defined +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
globose +, ellipsoid +, obovoid +  and round +
coriaceous +
thick +  and thin +
cordlike +  and cylindric +
fibrous;fleshy +
membranaceous +
ribbed +, 10-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and warty +
wrinkled +
Illustrated +
suffrutescent +
clambering +, decumbent +  and erect +
scabrous +, viscid-pubescent +  and glabrous +
few +  and many +
fusiform +  and linear +
filiform +
mucilaginous +
villous +, puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
Hesperonia californica +, Hesperonia cedrosensis +, Hesperonia heimerlii +, Mirabilis californica +, Mirabilis californica var. cedrosensis +, Mirabilis californica var. cordifolia +, Mirabilis heimerlii +, Mirabilis laevis var. cedrosensis +  and Mirabilis laevis var. cordifolia +
ropelike +  and swollen +
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia +
Mirabilis laevis +
variety +
gland-tipped +
expanded +
herb +, shrubby +, herbaceous +  and suffrutescent +
pubescent +  and glabrous +