Glossopetalon spinescens A. Gray
Descripción
Intricately or divaricately branched, spinescent shrubs to 2 m tall. Leaves distant, alternate, entire, crowded or distant, lanceolate, elliptic, to oblanceolate or obovate, 5-10 mm long, forming decurrent lines or ridges on the stem, glabrous or minuely pubescent with ciliolate margins; apices in ours not spine tipped; stipules absent or if present minute, subulate, 0.1-0.9 mm long, attached to the persistent glandular petiole base. Flowers solitary, axillary or terminal on short shoots; glandular disk lining the hypanthium; sepals (4-)5(-6), lanceolate, ovate, or circular, 4-5 mm long, persistent; petals (4-)5(-6), white, narrowly lanceolate to broadly oblanceolate, deciduous, 6-10 mm long; stamens 6-10; carpels l(-3), sessile; stigma discoid. Fruits striated. Seeds 1-2 with a circular, irregular, whitish aril.A
Floración
Apr–SepA
Forma de crecimiento
ArbustoA
Distribución
México (Country) native: Chihuahua present; Coahuila de Zaragoza present, North America presentB
Elevación
1450–1850 mA
Ecología y Hábitat
Mostly on limestone cliffs, ledges and hill.A
Tipo de vegetación
No especificadoA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaC
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaD
Discusión taxonómica
Two varieties reported for this species:
G. spinescens var. aridum plants intricately branched. Leaves mostly present during flowering, usually pub eru lent with ciliolate margins; glandular petiole base becoming darkened at maturity; stipules usually present, to 0.9 mm long, at; leaves usually persistent.
G. spinescens var. spinescens plants divaricately branched. Leaves readily deciduous, commonly absent during flowering, usually glabrous, the glandular petiole base remaining pale at maturity; stipules absent or if present 0. 1 mm or less long.A
G. spinescens var. aridum plants intricately branched. Leaves mostly present during flowering, usually pub eru lent with ciliolate margins; glandular petiole base becoming darkened at maturity; stipules usually present, to 0.9 mm long, at; leaves usually persistent.
G. spinescens var. spinescens plants divaricately branched. Leaves readily deciduous, commonly absent during flowering, usually glabrous, the glandular petiole base remaining pale at maturity; stipules absent or if present 0. 1 mm or less long.A