Whipplea

Torrey

in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 90, plate 7. 1857.

Common names: Modesty yerba de silva
Endemic
Etymology: For Lieutenant Amiel Weeks Whipple, 1816–1863, commander of Pacific Railroad Expedition 1853 & 1854
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 469. Mentioned on page 462, 463.

Subshrubs. Stems prostrate to decumbent. Bark exfoliating in grayish or grayish brownish strips. Branches erect to decumbent; twigs with simple trichomes. Leaves marcescent, opposite; petiole absent or present; blade elliptic, ovate, or ovate-elliptic, herbaceous, margins entire or shallowly crenate-serrate, plane; venation acrodromous. Inflorescences terminal, racemes or racemose cymes, 4–12-flowered; peduncle present. Pedicels present. Flowers bisexual; perianth and androecium nearly hypogynous; hypanthium adnate to ovary proximally, free distally, hemispheric, weakly 9–11-ribbed in fruit; sepals eventually deciduous, (4–)5–6, erect, narrowly oblong or oblong-lanceolate, appressed-pubescent abaxially; petals 4–6, valvate, reflexed, white, obovate or oblong, base clawed, surfaces glabrous; stamens 8–12; filaments distinct, dorsiventrally flattened, abruptly tapered medially, apex not 2-lobed; anthers elliptic; pistil (2–)4–5-carpellate, ovary slightly inferior, (3–)4–5-locular; placentation axile; styles caducous, (3–)4–5, distinct or connate basally. Capsules depressed-spheric, cartilaginous, dehiscence basipetally septicidal, carpels separating entirely. Seeds 1 per locule, brown or reddish brown, ellipsoid, trigonous.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Species 1.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa