Burscale

Obione acanthocarpa Torrey in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 183. 1859

Shrubs or subshrubs, dioecious, evergreen, mainly 2-10 × 4-10+ dm, woody especially basally, unarmed; branchlets obtusely angled to subterete. Leaves persistent, proximal ones opposite, becoming alternate distally, short petiolate or subsessile; blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, ovate, obovate, or spatulate, 12-40(-50) × 5-25 mm, base commonly subhastate to cuneate, margin entire or sinuate-dentate to strongly undulate-crisped, apex acute. Staminate flowers in interrupted or crowded glomerules 2-4.5 mm thick, in sparsely leafy paniculate spikes to 5+ dm. Pistillate flowers few to solitary, in axillary clusters or in crowded or interrupted, often leafy, erect, branched spicate racemes or racemose panicles to 25+ cm. Fruiting bracteoles on slender or stout stipes (2-)4-20 mm (or sessile), body broadly elliptic to globose, 6-15 mm and wide, spongy, united to the linear apex, margin deeply laciniate, faces appendaged with flattened to hornlike tubercles to 8 mm. Seeds brown, 1.5-2 mm.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): sw United States, n Mexico.