Gossypianthus lanuginosus
in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 337. 1849.
Plants 1–7 dm diam. Stems prostrate to decumbent, 0.4–1 mm diam., sparsely pilose to strongly woolly-villous with whitish, straight to wavy-crinkled hairs. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaves with petiole 0.5–2 cm, blade linear or linear-oblanceolate to spatulate, 1.6–9.7 × 0.2–1(–1.7) cm; cauline leaves with winged petiole 1–5 mm, blade ovate, elliptic-ovate elliptic, oblong-elliptic, oblong, or oblong-ovate, (0.1–)0.5–1.8(–3.3) × (0.1–)0.2–0.7 (–1.3) cm, glabrous or sparsely to densely pilose to strigose. Glomerules white, globose to cylindric, 1–10 × 5–8 mm. Flowers sessile; tepals green, oblong-lanceolate, outer tepals 2.5–4 mm, inner tepals 2.5–3.6 mm, chartaceous, apex acuminate, woolly-villous on exposed surfaces. Utricles included within tepals, 1.4–2 mm. Seeds 0.8–1.2 × 0.6–0.9 mm.
Distribution
North America, Mexico, West Indies.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Basal leaf blades oblong-oblanceolate, oblanceolate, or spatulate; cauline leaf blades ovate to oblong-ovate or obovate, pilose to sericeous abaxially, pilose to glabrate adaxially | Gossypianthus lanuginosus var. lanuginos |
| 1 | Basal leaf blades linear to linear-oblanceolate; cauline leaf blades oblong-elliptic to oblong, glabrous throughout or with scattered, marginal hairs near base | Gossypianthus lanuginosus var. tenuiflor |