Schistophragma

Herbs, annual. Stems erect or ascending, glandular-hairy. Leaves cauline, opposite; petiole present; blade not fleshy, not leathery, margins pinnatifid [entire]. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary; bracts absent. Pedicels present; bracteoles absent. Flowers bisexual; sepals 5, basally connate, calyx bilaterally symmetric, tubular, lobes narrowly triangular; corolla pink or purple, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, tubular, tube base not spurred or gibbous, throat not densely pilose internally, lobes 5, abaxial 3, adaxial 2; stamens 4, proximally adnate to corolla, didynamous, filaments glabrous; staminode 0; ovary incompletely 2-locular, placentation axile; stigma capitate, slightly 2-lobed. Fruits capsules, dehiscence septicidal. Seeds 30–100, yellow or brown, spirally ridged, ovoid or fusiform, wings absent. × = 20.

Distribution

sw United States, Mexico, Central America, South America (Colombia).

Discussion

Species 3 (1 in the flora).

Schistophragma is related to Leucospora, Limnophila, and Stemodia, and shares with them distinctive, stipitate anthers and a curved, capitate and two-lobed stigma. They are all in Gratioleae. Morphological characters have not been sufficient to clarify the relationships of the genera in this tribe, and molecular data are not available for many of the species, including S. intermedium.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Schistophragma intermedium