Meconella

Herbs, annual, caulescent, glabrous or glabrate, from fibrous roots. Stems leafy, mostly at base, erect to decumbent, simple or branching. Leaves: basal rosulate, winged-petiolate; cauline opposite or whorled, subsessile or sessile; blades unlobed. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, 1-flowered; bracts absent; bud globose, nodding. Flowers: receptacle sometimes expanded into small ring beneath calyx; sepals 3, with overlapping, loosely connivent flaps; petals 6; stamens 4-6 in 1 series or ca. 12 in 2 series; filaments usually dilated distally; pistil 3-carpellate; ovary 1-locular, linear-oblong; stigmas 3. Capsules erect, linear, greatly elongate at maturity and often spirally twisted, dehiscing apically by separation of valvelike carpels. Seeds few, black, shiny, aril absent. x = 8.

Distribution

Far w North America.

Discussion

Species 3 (3 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Meconella californica, Meconella denticulata, Meconella oregana

Key

1	Receptacle ± as long as broad, not expanded to ring beneath calyx; anthers linear-oblong, usually at least 1/2 length of filaments.	Meconella denticulata
1	Receptacle shorter than broad, expanded to ring beneath calyx; anthers ovoid to globose, much shorter than filaments.	> 2
2	Stamens ca. 12, sometimes fewer in depauperate specimens, in 2 series, outer filaments shorter than inner.	Meconella californica
2	Stamens 4–6, in 1 series, filaments all ± equal.	Meconella oregana