Description ²

Plants prostrate annuals (ascending in shade or competition); hairy with glabrous parts; plants typically not more than 15 cm tall; usually forming mats up to 20 cm. Stipules divided and serrated. Stems sparsely villous; largest internodes 1-2 mm in diameter. Leaves oblong but curved; sparsely villous; margins serrated; leaf bases greatly unequal; leaves often have a reddish “splotch”. Cyathia and fruits glabrous. Seeds plump and smooth.

Habitat and Distribution ²

A fairly common plant in calcareous soil with C. lata. The full range of this species in the Llano may not be known. There is only one collection near the Caprock in Lea County New Mexico (UNM via Consortium of Intermountain Herbaria) that can be found other than my collections held in the Sul Ross Herbarium (SRSC). I have observed this species in the southern part of the Llano in Gaines, Martin, and Midland Counties Texas. Plants tend to prefer disturbed soils and may become weedy in areas with calcareous soils.

Comments ²

Another distinctive species and the only prostrate species on the Llano that has hairy stems and relatively large, hairless fruits.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Nathan Taylor, all rights reserved, uploaded by Nathan Taylor
2. (c) Nathan Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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