Shrubs. Stems ˂main often ± spreading˃, irregularly and usually densely branched; twigs tan or orangish tinged, often with pair of opposite grooves, sometimes beginning to exfoliate during 1st year, not punctate, glabrous; bark grayish tan to gray or black. Leaves opposite, sometimes appearing fasciculate on short shoots; stipules absent or minute, narrowly triangular; sessile, those on long shoots decurrent as lines or grooves; blade oblanceolate to cuneate or spatulate, base tapered, margins entire or apically 2–3-lobed, ˂occasionally minutely ciliate near base˃, apex tip angled or tapered to sharply pointed, often mucronate (or lobe tips), venation obscure, not glaucous, glabrous. Inflorescences terminal on short shoots, solitary flowers. Pedicels absent or short. Flowers: hypanthium without nectar disc; sepals 4, lanceolate to ovate, ± concave, not cucullate, margins usually narrowly hyaline at least proximally, not glaucous, glabrous; petals 4, white, sometimes cream or ± reddish tinged with age, oblanceolate to oblanceolate-spatulate, 4–5 mm; stamens 8, usually in 2 series, filaments inserted on hypanthium outside narrow disc, longer than anthers; carpels 4, usually distinct, sessile; stigmas linear, ventrally decurrent. Follicles 1–4, asymmetrically turbinate to narrowly obovoid, turgid to slightly flattened, adaxial surface straight or nearly so prior to dehiscence, longitudinally striate with prominent venation, hispidulous, sometimes glabrescent; adaxial suture cartilaginous. Seeds 1 or 2 per follicle, brown to yellowish brown, reniform, not or only slightly flattened, shiny, finely papillose (appearing pebbled); arils white (drying tan), irregularly discoid or ± fimbrillate.

Species 1: sw United States.

Lower Taxon

• Apacheria chiricahuensis C. T. Mason