Gossypianthus lanuginosus

(Poiret) Moquin-Tandon

in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 337. 1849.

Common names: Woolly cottonflower
Illustrated
Basionym: Paronychia lanuginosa Poiret in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl., suppl. 4: 303. 1816
Synonyms: Guilleminea lanuginosa (Poiret) Moquin-Tandon ex Bentham & Hooker f.
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 438. Mentioned on page 436.

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

V4 862-distribution-map.gif

Ark., N.Mex., Okla., Tex., 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