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Bassia hyssopifolia

(Pall.) Kuntze (1891)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Genus: Bassia

bassia

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse annual herbs, silky villous throughout, often densely so, especially on younger parts.

Stems: Stems erect and some prostrate on same plant, 2–5 dm long, branched from base.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 0.5–4 cm long; sometimes succulent. Surfaces of young leaves silky villous. Margins entire. Sessile or narrowed to a pseudopetiole. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary clusters, sessile. Flowers bisexual (perfect), minute. Calyx globose, 5-lobed, lobes incurved, lobes ca. 1 mm long, villous, each one with a reddish, spreading, hooked spine. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 5; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, ovoid, 2–3(–5)-carpellate, 1-celled; ovule 1, placentation basal; stigmas 2–3, dry.

Fruit: Utricle enclosed by the coriaceous calyx. Seeds 1 per fruit; horizontal; lenticular; ca. 1 mm in diameter.

Ploidy: 2n = 18

Habitat: In alkaline soil.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 547 (1891)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:536 (O, M); Staples et al. 2002:7 (Mo); Starr et al. 2002:19 (EM)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Bassia hyssopifolia Central Maui, Wailuku District, by Kanaha Pond On a levee, in recently disturbed salty soil. Preserved_Specimen Plants stiff suffruticose. To 1 m. tall or with decumbent branches. Hobdy, R.W. 1773 Maui BISH 1983-06-24
2 Bassia hyssopifolia Kaunakakai, W of wharf Growing in sandy soil in wetland with Batis & Pluchea. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 70109 Molokai BISH 2001-07-14
3 Bassia hyssopifolia Central Maui, Wailuku District, along the W side of Kanaha Pond Growing on saline flats. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2527 Maui BISH 1986-02-27
4 Bassia hyssopifolia Along the road to Kihei. In a vacant lot with Batis maritima and koa haole. Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. Maui BISH 1990-07-20
5 Bassia hyssopifolia East Maui, S Kihei (Waiohuli), makai side of road, 200 m North of the McDonalds Preserved_Specimen Bush-like, 1.5 m tall and wide. Only a few plants present. Starr, F. 9908221 Maui BISH 1999-08-22
6 Bassia hyssopifolia Kanaha Pond, Kahului, Maui, Hawaii Growing at west end of pond, along fences line near tall date palms, in fill. Preserved_Specimen Scraggly shrub, succulent leaves, bluish-green. Crago, L.M. 2005178 Maui BISH 2005-08-09
7 Bassia hyssopifolia Kawela, growing along Kamehameha V highway. Near sea level Decumbent weed common in this area. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 9875 Molokai BISH 1999-12-16
8 Bassia hyssopifolia Kaunakakai, along Beach Pl near Rt 460 and the fuel depot Roadside weed in dry, sunny, and saline area Preserved_Specimen Over 50 plants seen, some rather small, but the largest was a single plant about 1 m tall and 2 m wide, growing rather decumbently Faccenda, K. 2975 Molokai BISH 2022-12-30
9 Bassia hyssopifolia Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu regional park, near the main parking lot at the swimming pool From crack in parking lot Preserved_Specimen One plant seen only, about 1 m tall, heavily branched, calyx with keel like structure, but not the hooked spine I expect for B. hyssopifolia, but unsure what else this could be Faccenda, K. 3023 Oahu BISH 2023-01-20
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