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Boerhavia

Vaill. ex L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Nyctaginaceae Genus: Boerhavia

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect to prostrate herbs, rarely somewhat scandent.

Stems: Nodes prominent, branching opposite or alternate by suppression of 1 branch at a node.

Roots: Often with an enlarged taproot or root-crown.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Sometimes gradually reduced distally. Margins entire or slightly sinuate, sometimes crispate. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary pedunculate cymes, these sometimes numerous distally, becoming smaller and more numerous and appearing to form a paniculate inflorescence, but with a definite central, somewhat zigzag axis, or in panicles well–differentiated from the leafy part of stem, often with a few leafy bracts and reduced scaly bracts at articulations, branching of panicle alternate, becoming irregular and often glomerulate distally. involucre absent. Flowers bisexual (perfect) usually small, perianth strongly constricted near middle, basal portion usually prominently 3–5(–10)–nerved, becoming ribbed, often glandular, limb caducous, campanulate, funnelform, or cylindrical, usually lobed, lobes often emarginate. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens usually 2–5, basal; filaments often contorted; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits, dorsifixed, suborbicular, ± exserted. Ovary superior, sessile, 1-celled; ovule 1, basal; style 1, filiform, unbranched; stigma capitate or somewhat disk–shaped, exserted.

Fruit: Anthocarps ellipsoid to clavate or turbinate; prominently ribbed to even somewhat alate; stipitate glands often present and very sticky; the whole readily disarticulating at or near maturity; leaving a conspicuous disk-like or concave receptacle. Seeds 1 per fruit; closely enclosed by the thin ovary wall.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Open; often arid or saline habitats.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Island Status

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 3 (1753)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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