Mirabilis laevis

(Bentham) Curran

Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 1: 235. 1888.

Illustrated
Basionym: Oxybaphus laevis Bentham Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 44. 1844
Synonyms: Hesperonia laevis (Bentham) Standley
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 47. Mentioned on page 41, 48.

Stems decumbent to erect, few and clambering through other vegetation to many, and then usually forming densely leafy and compact clumps, 1.5–15 dm, herbaceous, suffrutescent, or woody basally, glabrous, scabrous, puberulent, or villous, often glandular. Leaves spreading; petiole 0.1–2.2 cm; blade ovate, deltate-ovate, ovate-rhombic, subreniform, 1–4 (–5.5) × 0.5–3.5 (–5) cm, fleshy to slightly succulent, base cordate, truncate, or broadly obtuse, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded, surfaces glabrous, scabrous, puberulent, or villous, often glandular. Inflorescences widely cymose, or ± thyrsoid, involucres clustered, and nearly sessile at ends of branches, or solitary in axils on peduncles 3–12 mm; involucres 3–7 mm, lobes narrowly to broadly triangular, or triangular-lanceolate, base 30–50% of height. Flowers 1 (–2) per involucre; perianth white, pink, or shades of purple, 1–1.6 cm. Fruits gray, dark-brown, or nearly black, often mottled with dark-brown or black, with or without 10 pale, diffuse lines, ovoid, obovoid, or nearly spheric, 3–5.5 mm, smooth or moderately rugose.

Distribution

V4 90-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Nev., Oreg., Utah, nw Mexico

Discussion

Varieties 4 (3 in the flora).

Mirabilis laevis is a complex of poorly differentiated forms that differ to a greater or lesser extent primarily by perianth color, pubescence, and habit, characteristics that show imperfect geographic consistency. In general, white-flowered plants occur in arid areas east of the southern California mountains, and magenta-flowered plants occur west of the mountains; in the arid regions viscid-pubescent plants occur to the south, less viscid plants to the north. Sympatry and intergradation are frequent in the southern Sierra Nevada, southward along the east side of the southern California mountains, and on the northern portion of the peninsula of Baja California. The variety laevis, which is glabrous or glabrate, is restricted to the immediate coast and islands in the vicinity of Bahía Magdalena in Baja California Sur.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Perianth usually pink, lavender, or magenta, rarely white; lobes of involucre ovate or ovate-oblong, base of lobes 50-70% of their height; pubescence usually not notably viscid or retrorse (but stout curved hairs occur on plants along coast); inflorescences often narrow, ± thyrselike Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia
1 Perianth usually white, rarely pale pink or purplish; lobes of involucre often narrowly triangular, base of lobes 60-100% of their height; pubescence commonly viscid-puberulent, viscid-villous, or sparsely short pubescent with retrorse hairs; inflorescences usually broad, cymose > 2
2 Plants viscid-puberulent to viscid-villous Mirabilis laevis var. villosa
2 Plants retrorse-puberulent Mirabilis laevis var. retrorsa

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

... more about "Mirabilis laevis"
rounded;obtuse;rounded;obtuse;acute +
Richard W. Spellenberg +
(Bentham) Curran +
glutinous +
obtuse +, truncate +  and cordate +
constricted +
woody +, leathery +  and fleshy +
Oxybaphus laevis +
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 +
distinct +, , +  and connate +
corollalike +  and petaloid +
branched +, congested +  and open +
sessile +, petiolate +  and short +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, Oreg. +, Utah +  and nw Mexico +
curved +  and straight +
inconspicuous +  and showy +
cleistogamous +, chasmogamous +  and bisexual +
pale +, , +, mottled with dark-brown or mottled with black +, black +, dark-brown +  and gray +
round +, obovoid +  and ellipsoid +
thyrsoid +  and cymose +
bell--shaped +
accrescent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
herbaceous;papery +
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 />) +
triangular-lanceolate +  and triangular +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
sinuate +  and entire +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
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 />) +
Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. +
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 +
villous +, puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
many +  and few +
fusiform +  and linear +
filiform +
mucilaginous +
villous +, puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
Hesperonia laevis +
ropelike +  and swollen +
Mirabilis laevis +
Mirabilis sect. Oxybaphoides +
species +
gland-tipped +
expanded +
herb +, shrubby +, herbaceous +  and suffrutescent +
pubescent +  and glabrous +