Lechea maritima
Catal. Fl. New Jersey, 13. 1881.
Herbs, perennial. Stems: basal produced; flowering erect or procumbent to ascending, 15–35 cm, densely sericeous. Leaves of flowering stems whorled; blade narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 7–25 × 1.2–4 mm, apex acute, abaxial surface pilose, adaxial glabrous or sparsely pilose. Pedicels 1 per axil, 1–1.5 mm. Flowers: calyx 1.6–2.1 mm, outer sepals shorter than to ± equaling inner. Capsules subglobose to broadly ovoid, 1.3–2.1 × 1.5–1.9 mm, shorter than calyx. Seeds 2–5(–6).
Distribution
N.B., P.E.I., Conn., Del., Maine, Mass., Md., N.C., N.H., N.J., N.Y., R.I., Va.
Discussion
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
The varieties of Lechea maritima show appreciable overlap in many vegetative features but can be readily distinguished by the characters used here.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Flowering stems mostly branching distal to middle; outer sepals nearly equaling inner | Lechea maritima var. subcylindrica |
| 1 | Flowering stems mostly branching proximal to middle; outer sepals shorter than inner | > 2 |
| 2 | Seeds 3–4(–5), weakly 3-sided or 2-sided and convex; stems erect to procumbent, 1–2.5 mm diam.; sepals usually strongly maroon tinged, sometimes brown. | Lechea maritima var. maritima |
| 2 | Seeds 2(–3), 2-sided and flat or convex; stems procumbent to ascending, 2–4 mm diam.; sepals usually brown, sometimes maroon tinged. | Lechea maritima var. virginica |