Moehringia lateriflora
Vers. Darstell. Alsin., 18, 38. 1833.
Plants perennial. Rhizomes forming extensive network. Stems ascending or decumbent, often branched, terete, 5–30 cm, uniformly retrorsely pubesescent. Leaves sessile or subsessile; petiole 0.1–1 mm; blade 1–3-veined, broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, 6–30(–35) × (2–)5–10(–17) mm, margins granular to minutely serrulate-ciliate, apex obtuse or rounded. Inflorescences 1–5-flowered; bracts 1–3 mm, margins scarious. Pedicels erect, 3–30 mm. Flowers: sepals 5, midrib not keeled, ovate or obovate, herbaceous portion oblong to elliptic, 1.7–2.8(–3) mm, margins narrow, apex mostly obtuse or rounded; petals 5, 3–6 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals. Capsules subglobose, 3–5 mm, 11/2–2 times as long as sepals. Seeds reniform, 1 mm, smooth. 2n = 48.
Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Moist or dry woodlands, meadows, gravelly shores
Elevation: 50-2700 m
Distribution
St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Europe, Asia.
Discussion
Four varieties of Moehringia laterifolia have been described based on variation in leaf width and pubescence; they have been little used, and the variation appears not to be correlated with geography.
Selected References
None.