Lechea maritima

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

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e North America.

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

Lechea maritima var. maritima, Lechea maritima var. subcylindrica, Lechea maritima var. virginica

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