Metastelma blodgettii

Stems herbaceous, glabrate, sparsely puberulent in 1 line on new growth. Leaves: 1 stipular colleter on each side of petiole; petiole 1.5–3 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent; blade linear-lanceolate, 10–35 × 3–6 mm, chartaceous, with single vein or obscurely pinnate, base rounded, laminar colleters absent, margins sometimes revolute on drying, apex acute to attenuate, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous, margins sometimes remotely puberulent. Inflorescences umbelliform, 3–5-flowered; peduncle 0.5–1.5 mm, puberulent. Pedicels 1.5–2 mm, sparsely puberulent to glabrate. Flowers: calyx lobes ovate, apices obtuse to acute, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous, margins scarious, colleters apparently absent; corolla green abaxially, white adaxially, urceolate, tube 1 mm, lobes erect with spreading tips, opening obscured by hairs, lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially densely villous marginally and apically with erect, opaque, flattened hairs, densely hispid centrally with downward-pointing acicular translucent hairs; corona segments united to base of column, laminar, subulate, 1–1.5 mm, slightly longer than gynostegium; gynostegium sessile; style apex convex. Follicles dark brown, 4–5 × 0.4–0.7 cm, apically acuminate, glabrous. Seeds 10–16, brown, flat to somewhat navicular, 5–6 × 2–3 mm, broadly winged, smooth; coma white, 2–2.5 cm.

Phenology: Flowering nearly year-round; fruiting Mar–May, Sep–Oct.
Habitat: Limestone, pine rocklands, pine-palmetto scrub.
Elevation: 0 m.

Fla., West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba).

Discussion

In Florida Metastelma blodgettii is restricted to Miami-Dade County and Monroe County keys.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa