Lechea

Herbs, perennial or biennial, or subshrubs, (0.7–)1.5–9 dm, sericeous, villous, or rarely glabrous; stems dimorphic: basal stems produced late in growing season, prostrate to procumbent or ascending, overwintering; flowering stems produced in spring, erect to spreading-ascending. Leaves alternate, subopposite, opposite, or whorled, petiolate or sessile; blade 1-veined from base, linear to elliptic or ovate, oblanceolate, or orbiculate, margins revolute. Inflorescences paniculate or racemose, loose or congested, axils 1–3-flowered, bracteolate. Pedicels present. Flowers: chasmogamous; sepals 5, outer 2 linear to linear-lanceolate, inner 3 ovate to obovate, sometimes indurate in fruit; petals 3, maroon or green, usually shorter than sepals; stamens (3–)5–15(–25); carpels 3; style 0–0.5 mm; stigmas 3, dark red, fimbriate-plumose, sometimes persistent in fruit. Capsules 3-valved, exserted beyond calyx or not. Seeds 1–6 per capsule, ovoid, often compressed laterally, with or without easily separating membranous coat. x = 9 or unknown.

Distribution

North America, Mexico, West Indies (Cuba), Central America (Belize).

Discussion

The flowers of Lechea species are at anthesis only early in the day and most collections comprise fruiting individuals. In the key here, specimens lacking fruit and seeds can be difficult to determine with certainty. Regional treatments (for example, K. Barringer 2004; D. D. Spaulding 2013) can be very useful for identification.

Species 18 (16 in the flora).

Selected References

Barringer, K. 2004. New Jersey pinweeds (Lechea, Cistaceae). J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 131: 261–276.

Britton, N. L. 1894. A revision of the genus Lechea. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 21: 244–253.

Hodgdon, A. R. 1938. A taxonomic study of Lechea. Rhodora 40: 29–69, 87–131.

Spaulding, D. D. 2013. Key to the pinweeds (Lechea, Cistaceae) of Alabama and adjacent states. Phytoneuron 2013-99: 1–15.

Wilbur, R. L. and H. S. Daoud. 1961. The genus Lechea (Cistaceae) in the southeastern United States. Rhodora 63: 103–118.

Wilbur, R. L. 1966. Notes on Rafinesque’s species of Lechea. Rhodora 68: 192–208.

Lower Taxa

Lechea cernua, Lechea deckertii, Lechea divaricata, Lechea intermedia, Lechea lakelae, Lechea maritima, Lechea mensalis, Lechea minor, Lechea mucronata, Lechea pulchella, Lechea racemulosa, Lechea san-sabeana, Lechea sessiliflora, Lechea stricta, Lechea tenuifolia, Lechea torreyi

Key

1	Flowering stems spreading-villous	> 2
2	Basal stems not produced; leaves of flowering stems: blade 5–8 mm; capsules ellipsoid, distinctly longer than calyx.	Lechea divaricata
2	Basal stems produced; leaves of flowering stems: blade 10–30 mm; capsules subglobose, equaling or slightly longer than calyx.	Lechea mucronata
3	Pedicels 3–5 mm; seeds (4–)6.	Lechea san-sabeana
5	Pedicels 1–2 mm; calyx indurate, shiny, yellow-brown basally in fruit.	Lechea racemulosa
6	Capsules ovoid to broadly ovoid, ± equaling calyx	> 8
7	Leaves of flowering stems whorled or opposite, blade 4–7 mm wide.	Lechea minor
7	Leaves of flowering stems alternate or subopposite, blade 0.3–1.5 mm wide.	Lechea sessiliflora
8	Seeds 1(–2); capsules 1.2–1.3 mm diam.	Lechea mensalis
8	Seeds 2–3(–5); capsules 1.3–1.5 mm diam.	Lechea tenuifolia
9	Stems and leaves glabrous.	Lechea lakelae
9	Stems and leaves hairy, at least in part	> 10
10	Leaf blades densely hairy on both surfaces; pedicels 2–3 per axil.	Lechea cernua
10	Leaf blades glabrous or sparsely hairy adaxially, hairy abaxially at least on midvein and margins; pedicels 1 per axil	> 11
11	Capsules ellipsoid to ovoid or obovoid, length mostly 2+ times diam	> 12
12	Stigmas not persistent on capsule; calyx indurate, shiny, yellow-brown basally in fruit.	Lechea racemulosa
12	Stigmas persistent on capsule; calyx not indurate, shiny, yellow-brown basally in fruit.	Lechea sessiliflora
13	Subshrubs; seeds 1(–2).	Lechea deckertii
13	Herbs; seeds 2–6	> 14
14	Capsules longer than calyx.	Lechea pulchella
14	Capsules shorter than or ± equaling calyx	> 15
15	Seeds with membranous gray coat.	Lechea intermedia
15	Seeds without membranous gray coat	> 16
16	Capsules mostly 2+ mm diam.; c Canada, midwestern United States.	Lechea stricta
16	Capsules mostly to 2 mm diam.; coastal plain	> 17
17	Leaves of flowering stems: blade narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 1.2–4 mm wide; capsules 1.5–1.9 mm diam.; n coastal plain south to ne North Carolina.	Lechea maritima
17	Leaves of flowering stems: blade linear to narrowly elliptic, 1–1.5 mm diam.; s coastal plain north to se North Carolina.	Lechea torreyi