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10. Mortonia A. Gray, Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 34, plate 4. 1852.
[For Samuel George Morton, 1799–1851, North American naturalist] [For Samuel George Morton, 1799–1851, North American naturalist]
Jinshuang Ma Geoffrey A. Levin
Shrubs. Branchlets terete, <scabrous>. Leaves persistent, alternate, <crowded>; stipules present; petiole essentially absent; blade margins entire; 1-veined. Inflorescences terminal, cymose panicles or racemes. Flowers bisexual, radially symmetric; perianth and androecium perigynous; hypanthium free from ovary; sepals 5, distinct; petals 5, white; nectary intrastaminal, usually lining hypanthium, fleshy; stamens 5, adnate to nectary margin; staminodes 0; pistil 5-carpellate; ovary superior, 5-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 5; ovules 2 per locule. Fruits nutlike (small, hard-walled, indehiscent), 1-locular, oblong to cylindric, apex beaked. Seeds 1 per fruit, oblong, not winged; aril absent.
Species 8–10 (4 in the flora): sw United States, Mexico, Central America.
Mortonia is poorly understood taxonomically.
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| 1 |
Leaf blades linear-oblanceolate or oblanceolate, 15–25 mm, length 5 times width, glabrous, pliable, margins often thickened, not revolute. |
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1 Mortonia greggii |
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Leaf blades ovate, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, suborbiculate, or obovate, 3–16 mm, length 1.2–2.5 times length, usually scabridulous, rarely glabrous, rigid, margins not thickened, revolute |
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(2) |
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| 2 (1) |
Leaf blades oblong-elliptic to narrowly obovate, 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm, length 2–2.5 times width. |
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3 Mortonia sempervirens |
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Leaf blades ovate or broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, 5–16 × 4–12 mm, length 1.2–1.4 times width |
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(3) |
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| 3 (2) |
Leaves 5–6 × 4–5 mm; fruits 3.5–4.5 mm. |
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2 Mortonia scabrella |
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Leaves 7–16 × 5–12 mm; fruits 5–7 mm. |
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4 Mortonia utahensis |
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Lower Taxa
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