Minuartia drummondii

Plants annual. Taproots filiform. Stems erect to ascending, green, 5–20 cm, stipitate-glandular, often densely so, internodes of all stems 1–3 times as long as leaves. Leaves overlapping proximally, perfoliate proximally, with ± loose, scarious to herbaceous sheath 0.5–1 mm; blade green, flat, 1-veined, oblanceolate to cuneate (proximal) to oblong-lanceolate to ovate (remaining cauline), 5–30(–35) × 2–4 mm, flexuous, margins not thickened, ± scarious, smooth, apex green to purple, obtuse to abruptly pointed, dull, glabrous; axillary leaves absent. Inflorescences 7–12-flowered, open cymes, or rarely solitary, terminal; bracts ± lanceolate, herbaceous, sometimes scarious-margined proximally. Pedicels reflexed in fruit, 0.5–2.5 cm, stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium disc-shaped; sepals obscurely veined, ovate to broadly elliptic (herbaceous portion ovate to broadly elliptic), 3–6 mm, to 7 mm in fruit, apex green or purple, acute to acuminate, not hooded, stipitate-glandular; petals obovate to oblanceolate, 2–2.5 times as long as sepals, apex rounded, broadly notched. Capsules sessile, broadly ellipsoid, 6–7.5 mm, equaling or longer than sepals. Seeds dark brown to blackish, orbiculate with radicle prolonged into beak, only slightly compressed, 0.7–0.8 mm, echinate with rounded tubercles.

Phenology: Flowering late winter–early summer.
Habitat: Open grassy woodlands, sandy soils
Elevation: 0-500 m

Ark., La., Okla., Tex.

Discussion

Minuartia drummondii is easily recognized by the proportionally large corollas (petals to three times as long as sepals) and pedicels reflexing in fruit.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa