Diaperia
Diaperia candida
dwarf cudweed, rabbit-tobacco
silver rabbit-tobacco
1, erect, or 2–10, ascending to ± prostrate.
mostly 1;
branches proximal or none.
basal and cauline; alternate;
blades oblanceolate to obovate.
largest 10–18 × 2–3 mm;
capitular leaves subtending glomerules only, or sometimes also hidden between and surpassed by heads.
inconspicuous.
pulvinate to conic (heights 0.2–2.4 times diams.), glabrous.
± spheric, 0.3–0.5 mm, heights ± equal to diams.
13–35+.
3–5;
corollas protruding from heads, ± zygomorphic, 0.5–0.9 mm, glabrous, lobes unequal (1–2 enlarged).
(2–)4–6, ± equal (similar to paleae).
borne singly or in glomerules of 2–40+ in ± dichasiform, pseudo-polytomous, spiciform, or racemiform arrays.
proximal and distal, in spiciform or racemiform arrays, ± spheric, 1.5–2 mm, heights ± equal to diams.
light to dark brown, monomorphic: terete to obcompressed, ± obovoid, ± straight, not gibbous, faces glabrous, minutely papillate, dull or ± shiny;
corolla scars apical;
pappi 0.
rounded, ± terete, mostly 0.5–0.6 mm (bisexual slightly longer).
paleae readily falling (all or inner together, ± coherent distally by tangled indument) or outermost sometimes persistent, erect to ascending;
bodies with 5+ nerves (nerves ± parallel, obscure), oblanceolate to oblong, flat to concave most of lengths (not enclosing florets);
wings 0.
paleae scarcely imbricate, longest 0.9–1.3 mm.
or bisexual paleae readily falling (coherent with pistillate), (1–)3–5, erect to apically somewhat spreading or incurved (scarcely enlarged) in fruit, slightly surpassing pistillate paleae;
bodies ± spatulate (apices entire, sometimes involute and ± gibbous).
staminate or bisexual florets 2–5;
corolla lobes mostly 4, equal or unequal.
staminate florets usually 0.
paleae mostly 1–3, apices incurved, ± involute, gibbous.
= 7.
= 14.
Diaperia
Diaperia candida
Species 3 (3 in the flora).
See discussion of Filagininae following the tribal description (p. 385).
Diaperia occurs in open, moist or dry habitats of humid to semiarid, temperate to subtropical climates. Though apparently not aggressively invasive in their native range, the species are competitive in disturbed habitats (vacant lots, fallow fields, lawns, cemeteries, and roadsides). Diaperia verna var. verna, in particular, is widely regarded as a weed; the species are potentially invasive outside the flora.
Diaperia appears to be monophyletic, with ancestors near Evax sect. Filaginoides Smoljaninova of the Mediterranean basin and central Asia (particularly E. eriosphaera Boissier & Heldreich; J. D. Morefield 1992). It is separated from Evax by stems well-developed, leafy, usually branched, paleae falling together (coherent distally by tangled indument), and staminate paleae somewhat enlarged, apices obtuse, ± herbaceous, uniformly hairy (Morefield 2004). Species of Diaperia are sharply distinct by size, shape, and arrangement of branches, glomerules, heads, and capitular leaves.
Diaperia candida is aberrant by its inner florets bisexual, bisexual paleae distally gibbous, and reported chromosome complement of 2n = 14 (D. J. Keil and D. J. Pinkava 1976). These traits might eventually justify resurrection of the monotypic Calymmandra Torrey & A. Gray, after further study and confirmation of the chromosome number. While 2n = 14 is common elsewhere in Gnaphalieae, all other 25 counted species of Filagininae have 2n = 28 (species of Evax, Filago, Logfia, Micropus, Psilocarphus, and Stylocline) or 2n = 26 (Diaperia and Evax). The implication that D. candida retains an ancestral diploid condition has no phylogenetic support (J. D. Morefield 1992).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Diaperia candida is the most restricted of the three species, occupying most of eastern Texas (including the coast) and extending to adjacent corners of southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas, and northwestern Louisiana.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Heads in racemiform or spiciform arrays, 1.5–2 mm; branches proximal or none; longest pistillate paleae 0.9–1.3 mm; bisexual florets 3–5 (corollas 0.5–0.9 mm, protruding from heads); functionally staminate florets usually 0 | D. candida |
1. Heads in ± dichasiform or pseudo-polytomous arrays, 2–4.5 mm; branches proximal and distal, rarely none; longest pistillate paleae 1.9–4 mm; bisexual florets 0; functionally staminate florets 2–5 (corollas 1.4–2.5 mm, hidden in heads) | → 2 |
2. Heads in subdichasiform arrays, ± campanulate to spheric, 2–3.3 mm, heights ± equal to diams.; capitular leaves ± hidden between and surpassed by heads; pistillate paleae scarcely imbricate; cypselae mostly 0.7–0.9 mm | D. verna |
2. Heads in strictly dichasiform or pseudo-polytomous arrays (sometimes appearing monochasiform), ellipsoid to ± cylindric, 3.5–4.5 mm, heights 2–3 times diams.; capitular leaves visible between and surpassing heads; pistillate paleae imbricate; cypselae mostly 0.9–1.2 mm | D. prolifera |
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