Micropus
cotton-seed, falzblume, micrope
1, ± erect, or 2–5[–10], ascending to erect [prostrate].
cauline; mostly alternate [opposite];
blades narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic [spatulate].
inconspicuous.
depressed-spheric or obovoid (heights 0.5–1.8 times diams.), glabrous.
4–12.
0.
4–6, ± equal (unlike paleae, scarious, hyaline).
usually in glomerules of 2–5 in racemiform to paniculiform or distally ± dichasiform [axillary] arrays, sometimes borne singly.
brown, monomorphic: ± trigonously [evenly] compressed, ± obovoid, curved, gibbous abaxially, faces glabrous, smooth, shiny, corolla scars ± lateral;
pappi: pistillate 0, staminate 0 or of 1–5 bristles (hidden in heads).
paleae falling, erect to incurved;
bodies with 5+ nerves (nerves ± parallel, obscure), obovoid, saccate most of lengths (trigonously [evenly] compressed, galeate, abaxially rounded [corniculate-crested], each enclosing a floret);
wings ± erect (and lateral) or inflexed (and subapical).
paleae 0 or 1–3, falling, erect in fruit (not enlarged), shorter than pistillate paleae;
bodies linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate.
staminate florets 2–5;
corolla lobes 4–5, ± equal.
= 14.
Micropus
Species 5 (2 in the flora).
See discussion of Filagininae following the tribal description (p. 385).
Micropus species are found mostly in dry, open habitats of Mediterranean climates. In the flora, they are known only from west-draining portions of the Californian Floristic Province and the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
The two North American species constitute Micropus sect. Rhyncholepis Nuttall. Recent European workers (e.g., J. Holub 1998) have included sect. Rhyncholepis in Bombycilaena, leaving M. supinus Linnaeus in a monotypic genus. Based on phylogenetic data (J. D. Morefield 1992), that approach would include in Bombycilaena species ancestral to, and derived from ancestors of, Micropus. I maintain Micropus in its traditional sense here. Micropus and Psilocarphus appear to be monophyletic sister genera derived from near or within Stylocline. A malformed specimen from Monterey County, California, appears to be a sterile hybrid between M. californicus and a species of Psilocarphus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Pistillate paleae 8–12 in 2 series, bodies mainly chartaceous, cartilaginous medially, wings prominent, subapical, inflexed, plane to concave; cypselae: corolla scars in distal 1/4; receptacle heights 1.2–1.8 times diams.; staminate paleae mostly 1–3; staminate corolla lobes 4 (–5); staminate pappi of 1–5 bristles | M. amphibolus |
1. Pistillate paleae 4–7(–8) in 1 series, bodies cartilaginous to bony throughout, wings obscure, lateral, ± erect, involute; cypselae: corolla scars ± median; receptacle heights 0.5–0.8 times diams.; staminate paleae 0; staminate corolla lobes usually 5; staminate pappi 0 or of 1 bristle | M. californicus |
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
