Mohavea

Herbs, annual. Stems erect or ascending, filiform, twining branches absent, densely glandular-villous. Leaves cauline, opposite proximally, alternate distally; petiole present; blade fleshy, not leathery, margins entire. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary; bracts absent. Pedicels present; bracteoles absent. Flowers bisexual; sepals 5, basally connate, calyx bilaterally symmetric, cupulate, lobes lanceolate, adaxial largest; corolla yellow or white, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, tubular, tube base usually gibbous abaxially, not spurred, lobes 5, abaxial 3, adaxial 2, palate partially blocking mouth; stamens 2, basally adnate to corolla, filaments glabrous or sparsely hairy, pollen sacs 1 per filament; staminodes 2 or 3, linear, adaxial minute or absent; ovary 2-locular, placentation axile; stigma punctiform. Fruits capsules, locules equal, dehiscence poricidal. Seeds 20–50, dark brown to black, oblong, wings present, abaxial, cupulate. x = 15.

Distribution

sw United States, nw Mexico.

Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

Mohavea is similar to Pseudorontium, which also has asymmetric, winged seeds. Seeds of Mohavea are notched at the proximal end. Plants of the genus can be distinguished from others in Antirrhineae by their relatively large, acute or obtuse corolla lobes, more or less radially symmetric fruits, and two fertile anthers, each with a single pollen sac. R. K. Oyama and D. A. Baum (2004) and M. Fernández-Mazuecos et al. (2013) found evidence that Mohavea nests among species treated in Sairocarpus.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Mohavea breviflora, Mohavea confertiflora

Key

1	Corollas yellow, 15–20 mm; pedicels 3–5 mm in flower.	Mohavea breviflora
1	Corollas pale yellow to white, 25–35 mm; pedicels 5–6 mm in flower.	Mohavea confertiflora