Tragia ramosa
Encyclopedia
Tragia ramosa is a species of flowering plant in the euphorb family
known by the common name branched noseburn. It is native to the southwestern and southcentral United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in scrub, woodland, and other desert and plateau habitat. It is a perennial herb growing mostly erect, measuring 10 to 30 centimeters in maximum height. It is covered in long, rough stinging hairs
. The leaves have lance-shaped or oval blades with toothed edges which are borne on petioles
. The plant is monoecious
; its inflorescence
contains a few male flowers and usually one female flower. The flowers lack petals but have green sepal
s. The female flower yields a small capsule.
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
known by the common name branched noseburn. It is native to the southwestern and southcentral United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in scrub, woodland, and other desert and plateau habitat. It is a perennial herb growing mostly erect, measuring 10 to 30 centimeters in maximum height. It is covered in long, rough stinging hairs
Urticating hair
Urticating hairs, i.e. stinging hairs, are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, some New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. Urtica is Latin for "nettle", and hairs that urticate are characteristic of this type of plant, and many other plants in...
. The leaves have lance-shaped or oval blades with toothed edges which are borne on petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The plant is monoecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
; its inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
contains a few male flowers and usually one female flower. The flowers lack petals but have green sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. The female flower yields a small capsule.