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3. Myricaria Desvaux, Ann. Sci. Nat. (Paris). 4: 349. 1825.
水柏枝属 shui bai zhi shu
Myrtama Ovczinnikov & Kinzikaëva; Tamaricaria Qaiser & Ali.
Shrubs, rarely subshrubs, deciduous, erect or prostrate. Leaves simple, alternate, sessile, usually densely arranged on green young branches of current year, margin entire. Flowers bisexual, shortly petiolate, clustered into terminal or lateral racemes or panicles; bracts broadly or narrowly membranous along margin. Calyx 5-fid; lobes often membranous along margin. Petals 5, pink, white, or purplish red, obovate, narrowly elliptic, or obovate-oblong, apex obtuse or emarginate, often incurved, usually persistent in fruit. Stamens 10: 5 long and 5 short; filaments ca. 1/2 or 2/3 united, rarely free; anthers 2-thecate, longitudinally dehiscent, yellow. Pistils consisting of 3 carpels; ovary 3-angled; placentation basal; ovules numerous; stigmas capitate, 3-lobed. Capsule 3-septicidal. Seeds numerous, apex awned; awns white villous throughout or on more than half; endosperm absent.
About 13 species: Asia, Europe; ten species (four endemic) in China.
Because Myricaria laxa W. W. Smith (Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 14: 123. 1923) was only very briefly described, its identity cannot yet be determined; it requires further study. Many Chinese specimens in United States herbaria are determined as Myricaria dahurica (Willdenow) Ehrenberg (Linnaea 2: 278. 1827). However, further study is needed to ascertain if these identifications are correct and if this species actually occurs in China.
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| 1 |
Shrubs prostrate or decumbent |
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(2) |
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Shrubs erect |
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(3) |
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| 2 (1) |
Branches prostrate; racemes 1-4-flowered. |
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1 M. prostrata |
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Old branches decumbent, young ones erect; racemes many flowered. |
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2 M. rosea |
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| 3 (1) |
Leaves lax, usually 5-15 × more than 2 mm |
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(4) |
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Leaves dense, usually 1.5-5 × less than 2 mm |
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(6) |
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| 4 (3) |
Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, base attenuate; filaments only united at base. |
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3 M. elegans |
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Leaves broadly ovate, cordate, base dilated; filaments ca. 1/2 or 1/3 united |
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(5) |
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| 5 (4) |
Leaves basally deeply cordate, amplexicaul; racemes usually terminal. |
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4 M. pulcherrima |
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Leaves basally not cordate, nor amplexicaul; racemes usually lateral. |
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5 M. platyphylla |
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| 6 (3) |
Sepals 1.5-2 mm; petals 3-4.5 mm; bracts lanceolate, 3-4 mm. |
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6 M. wardii |
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Sepals 2-4 mm; petals 4-6 mm; bracts broadly ovate, elliptic, or ovate-lanceolate |
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(7) |
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| 7 (6) |
Inflorescences lateral, or several clustered and axillary, base with numerous persistent imbricate scales. |
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7 M. squamosa |
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Inflorescences usually terminal, or both terminal and axillary, base with or without imbricate scales |
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(8) |
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| 8 (7) |
Inflorescences of two types; those in spring racemose, lateral, and those in summer and autumn paniculate, terminal, lax. |
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8 M. paniculata |
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Inflorescences of one type, racemose, terminal |
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(9) |
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| 9 (8) |
Racemes dense, nearly spikelike; bracts broadly ovate. |
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9 M. bracteata |
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Racemes lax; bracts lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate. |
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10 M. laxiflora |
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List of lower taxa
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Treatments in Other Floras @ www.efloras.org
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