Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness
Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department
of Natural Sciences
Boerhavia coccinea Miller
(Garnet Spiderling, Scarlet Spiderling)
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Status: Native
Synonyms:
Boerhavia ixodes Standley
Boerhavia ramulosa M.E. Jones
Boerhavia viscosa Lagasca & Rodriguez var. oligadena Heimerl
Boerhaavia coccinea is a perennial herb, usually spreading in form. The leaves
are glabrous and the flowers are pink to purple and only a few millimeters long. It is
found on dry slopes at low elevation. The fruit is stalked glandular pubescent, and is called an anthocarp. It is 5-ridged in this species. An anthocarp is a fruit in which part of the perianth remains attached. In this case, the green bottom portion of the perianth below a constriction is retained on the achene.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Boerhavia coccinea, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Burro Mtns., Three Gate Road, Sept. 18, 2007
Boerhavia coccinea, glandular cymose inflorescence with slightly exerted stamens and glandular fruit, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Burro Mtns., Wild Horse Canyon, July 8, 2007
Boerhavia coccinea, 3x macro of sticky glandular cymose inflorescence, photo Russ Kleinman, Burro Mtns., Newby Road, June 8, 2009
Boerhavia coccinea, 1x macro of sticky glandular cymose inflorescence, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos, August 22, 2012
Boerhavia coccinea, closeup of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos, August 22, 2012
Boerhavia coccinea, photomicrograph of stalked glands on anthocarp (stipitate glandular), photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos, August 20, 2024
Boerhavia coccinea, photomicrograph of cross-section of 5-ridged anthocarp (stipitate glandular, achene removed), photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos, August 20, 2024
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