Moehringia L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1964, Flora Europaea - Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae, Cambridge University Press : 123-124

2. Moehringia L. 1

Annual or perennial herbs, usually with weak, straggling stems. Leaves ovate to linear. Inflorescence a lax, few-flowered cyme; flowers usually 5-merous, a few species 4-merous. Petals white, entire; stamens 10 or 8 (rarely 5); styles 3 or 2. Capsule more or less equalling sepals, globose, dehiscing with 6 or 4 teeth. Seeds few, reniform, reddish-black, smooth; strophiole persistent.

Differs from Arenaria in possessing a strophiole and in its basic chromosome number, x= 12. The strophiole is often of great diagnostic value but it can only be reliably observed on ripe seeds. Most of the European species are very local endemics requiring further taxonomic study.

1 Petals absent or up to j as long as sepals 2 Sepals 4-5 mm; petals as long as sepals 1. trinervia 2 Sepals 1-4 mm; petals absent or rudimentary 3 Stems glabrous; sepals 1-1-5 mm 4. minutiflora 3 Stems pubescent; sepals 2-4 mm 2. pentandra 1 Petals ± equalling or exceeding sepals 4 Stems pubescent, at least near base, sometimes sparsely so 5 Upper leaves broadly elliptical or orbicular 6 Stems erect; leaves broadly elliptical 3. lateriflora 6 Stems procumbent; leaves orbicular 6. fontqueri 5 Upper leaves linear or narrowly elliptical 7 Leaves distinctly 3-veined, the lateral veins marginal

9. pendula 7 Leaves 1-veined, or appearing veinless 8 Upper leaves not more than 1 mm wide; cymes 3- to severalflowered 12. grisebachii 8 Upper leaves more than 1 mm wide

9 Stems glabrous above; leaves distinctly petiolate;

cymes 3- to several-flowered 11. jankae

9 Stems pubescent above; leaves sessile; cymes 1- to 3-

flowered 10. villosa 4 Stems glabrous 10 At least the lower leaves ovate or distinctly spathulate 11 Upper leaves linear-oblong, narrower than the lower

8. diversifolia 11All leaves similar 12 Leaves sessile or very shortly petiolate, up to twice as long as wide 7. tejedensis 12 Leaves distinctly petiolate, more than twice as long as wide 5. intricata 10 Leaves all linear, linear-lanceolate or narrowly spathulate 13 Flowers 4-merous 14 Leaves usually less than 10 mm, fleshy 18. sedifolia 14 Leaves usually more than 10 mm, scarcely fleshy

15 Leaves linear, rarely more than 1-2 mm wide

16 Leaves widest in upper half; flowers usually solitary;

strophiole prominent, laciniate 16. markgrafii

16 Leaves not widest in upper half; cymes 2- to 6-

flowered; strophiole small, almost entire 20. muscosa

15 Leaves linear-spathulate, usually more than 1-2 mm

wide

17 Sepals with wide scarious margins; petals slightly exceeding sepals 15. tommasinii

17 Sepals with narrow scarious margins; petals about twice as long as sepals 14. papulosa 13 Flowers 5-merous 18 Leaves narrowly spathulate to linear-lanceolate

19 Leaves not more than l l x l - 5 mm; strophiole entire

13. dielsiana

19 At least some leaves more than l l x l - 5 mm; strophiole lobed or finely laciniate

20 Plant green, slender; pedicels deflexed after flowering

10. villosa

20 Plant distinctly glaucous, not slender; pedicels erect after flowering 14. papulosa 18 Leaves linear

21 Plant glaucous; strophiole large, laciniate

22 Stems very fragile and slender; leaves O-3-O-6 mm

wide 19. glaucovirens

22 Stems more robust; leaves more than 0-6 mm wide

17. bavarica 21 Plant green; strophiole small

23 Stems weak; leaves usually more than 10 mm, glabrous; sepals 1-veined 20. muscosa

23 Stems more robust; leaves usually less than 10 mm, usually shortly and sparsely ciliate at base; sepals 3-veined 21. ciliata