Eremalche

Herbs, annual, sometimes gynodioecious. Stems prostrate to erect, sparsely to densely hairy. Leaves: stipules caducous, subulate; blade reniform-round, unlobed or palmately 3-, 5-, [7-]cleft, base truncate to cordate, margins usually toothed, sometimes entire. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers in lower axils, congested and ± corymbose at branch tips; involucellar bractlets persistent, 3, distinct. Flowers: calyx not accrescent, not inflated, lobed to beyond middle, lobes not ribbed, acuminate; corolla campanulate, white to rose, lavender, or mauve, drying purple or blue; staminal column included; ovary 9–36-carpellate; ovules 1 per carpel; styles 9–36-branched (branches equal in number to carpels); stigmas terminal, capitate. Fruits schizocarps, oblique, not inflated, depressed-discoid, edge corrugate or reticulate, glabrous; mericarps 9–36, drying black, 1-celled, without spur, ± spheric, unarmed, lateral walls ± disintegrated, indehiscent. Seeds ascending, 1 per mericarp, black, obovoid-reniform, glabrous. x = 10.

Distribution

sw United States, nw Mexico.

Discussion

Species 3 (3 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Eremalche exilis, Eremalche parryi, Eremalche rotundifolia

Key

1	Leaf blades unlobed; petals magenta-spotted at base; mericarps 2.8–3.5 mm.	Eremalche rotundifolia
1	Leaves lobed or parted; petals not spotted; mericarps 1.4–1.8 mm	> 2
2	Flowers bisexual; petals 4–5.5 mm, ± equaling calyx; plants prostrate to decumbent.	Eremalche exilis
2	Flowers bisexual or pistillate; petals 5.5–20(–25) mm, equaling or exceeding calyx; plants erect, main stem unbranched or with ascending branches from base.	Eremalche parryi