Eremogone macradenia

(S. Watson) Ikonnikov

Novosti Syst. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 140. 1973.

Common names: Mohave sandwort
Endemic
Basionym: Arenaria macradenia S. Watson Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 367. 1882
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 68. Mentioned on page 57, 58, 65.

Plants tufted, green, not glaucous, with woody base. Stems erect, (10–)20–40(–70) cm, glabrous to stipitate-glandular. Leaves: basal leaves sparse or absent; cauline leaves usually in 5–12+ pairs, not significantly reduced; basal blades ascending to arcuate-spreading or recurved, needlelike or narrowly linear, (0.7–)2–6(–7) cm × 0.8–2 mm, ± rigid, herbaceous to subsucculent, apex blunt to spinose, glabrous, not glaucous. Inflorescences 3–20(–30)-flowered, ± compact cymes; branches ascending to erect. Pedicels 3–45 mm, glabrous or stipitate-glandular. Flowers: sepals 1–3-veined, ovate to lanceolate or elliptic, 4.5–7.2 mm, to 8 mm in fruit, margins narrow to broad, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous to sparsely stipitate-glandular; petals white or yellowish, oblanceolate to spatulate, 6–11 mm, 1–2 times as long as sepals, apex entire or erose; nectaries thickened, molarlike, apically 2-lobed, 1–1.5 mm, or narrowly longitudinally rectangular, truncate, 0.7–0.8 mm, densely minutely pubescent with erect to spreading hairs. Capsules 6–8 mm, glabrous. Seeds greenish or reddish brown to blackish, suborbicular to pyriform or ovoid, 1.3–3.2 mm, tuberculate, sometimes echinate on abaxial ridge; tubercles low, rounded to conic.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Eremogone macradenia is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Cauline leaves mostly in 5-8 pairs, blade ± ascending throughout, 0.8-1.2 mm wide Eremogone macradenia var. macradenia
1 Cauline leaves mostly in 6-12+ pairs, blade curved downward, especially proximal ones, 1.2-2 mm wide Eremogone macradenia var. arcuifolia