Stemodia durantifolia

(Linnaeus) Swartz

Observ. Bot., 240. 1791.

Illustrated
Basionym: Capraria durantifolia Linnaeus Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1116. 1759
Synonyms: Stemodia arizonica Pennell
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 279. Mentioned on page 278, 280.

Stems erect or ascending, 10–100 cm, glandular and eglandular-hairy. Leaves opposite or whorled proximally, opposite distally; blade lanceolate to oblong, 15–50 (–70) × 3–15 (–20) mm, base clasping, margins serrate distally, flat, surfaces sparsely hairy. Inflorescences terminal, spikes, racemes, or flowers 1–4 per axil; bracts 4–5 mm. Pedicels 0–8 (–15) mm; bracteoles [1 or] 2, 2–3.5 mm. Flowers: calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, 3–5 mm; corolla blue-purple, 5–8 (–10) mm, puberulent, lobes 1–2 × 1 mm; style 2–4 mm. Capsules 4–5 mm; style often persistent. Seeds ellipsoid, 2–3 mm.


Phenology: Flowering year-round.
Habitat: Wet sand and rock in open, sometimes disturbed, sites.
Elevation: 0–400 m.

Distribution

Ariz., Calif., Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America

Discussion

Stemodia durantifolia might be confused with S. maritima Linnaeus, which is found in the Caribbean and along the coast in Mexico and elsewhere in the New World tropics. Stemodia maritima has corollas less than 5 mm and stalked pollen sacs. Florida plants of S. durantifolia are introduced.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Stemodia durantifolia"
Kerry A. Barringer +
(Linnaeus) Swartz +
alternate +, opposite +, whorled +, helical +  and subopposite +
Capraria durantifolia +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
lanceolate;oblong +
not leathery +  and not fleshy +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
tubular +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America +
drupe-like +
0–400 m. +
curved +  and straight +
1 +  and 4 +
Wet sand and rock in open, sometimes disturbed, sites. +
axillary +  and terminal +
opposite +  and whorled +
persistent +  and deciduous +
narrowly lanceolate;narrowly triangular +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
denticulate +  and serrate +
axile +  and parietal +
basal +, apical +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, unitegmic +  and hemitropous +
campylotropous +, hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
5 +  and 4 +
Flowering year-round. +
Observ. Bot., +
minute +
light-brown +
ellipsoid +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Illustrated +
short-cylindric +
climbing +  and scrambling +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
ascending;erect +
eglandular-hairy +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
persistent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Stemodia arizonica +
Stemodia durantifolia +
Stemodia +
species +
gibbous +  and not spurred +
perennial +  and annual +