Chamaesaracha crenata
Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 4: 368. 1896. (as Camaesaracha)
Stems decumbent, pale green, (1.5–)3–4 dm. Herbage pubescent, viscid, hairs simple, long and eglandular intermixed with shorter glandular. Leaves: petiole 1/3 total leaf length; blade ovate to broadly rhombic, 4–6 × 1.5–3.5 cm, length 2–2.5 times width, margins crenate or sinuate. Inflorescences 1–5-flowered. Flowers: calyx 5–7 mm, densely pubescent, hairs mostly relatively long; corolla 5–15 mm diam. Berries 8–10 mm diam. 2n = 24.
Phenology: Flowering Mar–Oct (mostly late spring–early summer, depending on rain).
Habitat: Deserts, dry grasslands, frequently on roadsides or dry desert washes.
Elevation: 500–900 m.
Distribution
Tex., Mexico (Coahuila).
Discussion
Chamaesaracha crenata occurs primarily in the Big Bend region of Texas and adjacent Coahuila, Mexico. Plants are robust, forming dense mounds. J. Henrickson (2009) included C. crenata within C. villosa. The two species are very similar; populations in and around Big Bend National Park compare more closely to the type of C. crenata.
Selected References
None.