Polygonella gracilis

Herbs, annual, dioecious, 8–16 dm. Stems erect, simple or branched proximally and distally, glabrous. Leaves mostly fugaceous; ocrea margins not ciliate; blade filiform to broadly spatulate or, rarely, obovate, (9–)19–39(–65) × 0.8–5(–8) mm, base attenuate, margins not hyaline, apex obtuse, glabrous. Inflorescences (13–)20–40(–70) mm; ocreola encircling rachis, only the base adnate to rachis, apex acute. Pedicels spreading in anthesis, sharply reflexed in fruit, 0.1–0.3 mm, as long as subtending ocreola. Flowers functionally unisexual; filaments dimorphic; anthers deep red; styles and stigmas less than 0.1 mm in anthesis. Staminate flowers: outer tepals loosely appressed in anthesis and fruit, white, elliptic, 1.1–2 mm in anthesis, margins entire; inner tepals loosely appressed in anthesis and fruit, white, elliptic, 1–2 mm in anthesis, margins entire. Pistillate flowers: outer tepals loosely appressed in anthesis, usually spreading in fruit, white to pink, often drying red and streaked or dotted orange or brown, elliptic to oblong, 0.8–1.4 mm in anthesis, margins entire or obscurely erose; inner tepals loosely appressed in anthesis and fruit, white to pink, often drying yellow, broadly elliptic to ovate, 1.8–3.6 mm in flower, margins entire or obscurely erose. Achenes included or exserted, reddish brown to yellow-brown, (2–)3-gonous, 2–3.4 × 1–1.4 mm, shiny, smooth. 2n = 22, 24.

Phenology: Flowering Aug–Nov.
Habitat: Pinelands, sandhills, sandy roadsides
Elevation: 0-60 m

Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., N.C., S.C.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa