Pomaria Cav., Icon. 5: 1. 1799.

Figs 35, 36, 38, 48

Melanosticta DC., Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 2: 485. 1825. Type: Melanosticta burchellii DC. [≡ Pomaria burchellii (DC.) B.B. Simpson & G.P. Lewis]

Cladotrichium Vogel, Linnea 11: 401. 1837. Lectotype (designated by Simpson and Lewis 2003): Cladotrichium rubicundum Vogel [≡ Pomaria rubicunda (Vogel) B.B. Simpson & G.P. Lewis]

Type.

Pomaria glandulosa Cav.

Description.

Small shrubs, subshrubs, or perennial herbs, with a moderate to dense indumentum of simple curled hairs, sometimes also scattered plumose trichomes, intermixed with sessile, oblate glands (drying black) on stems. Stipules mostly laciniate, glandular, persistent. Leaves bipinnate, pinnae in 1-8 (11) opposite pairs, plus a terminal pinna; leaflets small, 2-16 (27) opposite pairs per pinna, always with multiple sessile glands on their lower surface (these orange in the field, drying black). Inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic; hypanthium persistent as a small shallow cup as the fruit matures; sepals 5, caducous, lanceolate, the lower sepal cucullate, covering the other 4 in bud, and closely embracing the androecium and gynoecium at anthesis; petals 5, free, yellow, white, red, or pink; stamens 10, filaments pubescent; ovary sparsely to densely hairy and glandular. Fruit a linear or sickle-shaped, laterally compressed legume, with a sparse to dense covering of plumose/dendritic or stellate trichomes (sometimes obscure and restricted to fruit margin) intermixed with sessile oblate glands (drying black), elastically dehiscent, with twisting valves. Seeds laterally compressed.

Chromosome number.

2 n = 24 P. rubicunda (Vogel) B.B. Simpson & G.P. Lewis, P. stipularis (Vogel) B.B. Simpson & G.P. Lewis) (Fedorov 1969; Biondo et al. 2005a).

Included species and geographic distribution.

Seventeen taxa in 16 species: nine in North America, four in South America, and three in southern Africa (Fig. 48).

Ecology.

Mainly in subtropical dry grassland and in degraded sites, many on limestone.

Etymology.

Named by Cavanilles for Dominic Pomar, botanist from Valencia, and doctor to Philip III (1598-1621), King of Spain.

Human uses.

Unknown.

Notes.

Revisions of the species of Pomaria are available for North America (Simpson 1998), South America and Africa (Simpson and Lewis 2003), and southern Africa (under the name Hoffmannseggia, Brummitt and Ross 1974).

Taxonomic references.

Brummitt and Ross (1974, as Hoffmannseggia); Burkart (1936); Gagnon et al. (2016); Lewis (2005b); Simpson (1998); Simpson and Lewis (2003); Simpson et al. (2006); Ulibarri (1996, 2008).