Bernardia

Carrión, Juan F. & Amorim, André M., 2024, A new species of Bernardia (Euphorbiaceae, Acalyphoideae) with stellate trichomes from South America, Phytotaxa 650 (1), pp. 1-7 : 6

Key to Bernardia species with stellate trichomes in the southern half of South America (modified from Carrión et al. 2019)

1. Leaves coriaceous; staminate inflorescences subglobose, sessile, cymules congested along the axis; staminate flowers shortly pedicellate (pedicels not exserted over the bract at anthesis).............................................................................................................2

- Leaves membranaceous to chartaceous; staminate inflorescences spiciform, pedunculate, cymules scattered along the axis; staminate flowers conspicuously pedicellate (pedicel exserted over the bract at anthesis) ...............................................................3

2. Multi-stemmed subshrub, usually with leaves near the base of the stem; blades 2.2–4.5 cm wide, circular glands 2–14, on the abaxial surface, usually aggregated close to the blade base, sometimes near to the apex; stamens 7–11; pistillate bracts 2.5–4.5 × 2.2–3.8; pistillate sepals 2.6–3.5 × 1.6–2.8 ......................................................................................... B. allemii Carrión (2019: 828)

- Single-stemmed shrub, without leaves near the base of the stem; blades 0.5–2 cm wide, circular glands sometimes absent or with 1–2(–3) glands close to the blade base on the abaxial surface; stamens 5–8; pistillate bracts 1–2 × 1–2.5 mm; pistillate sepals 0.8–1.7 × 0.8–1.5............................................................................................................ B. gardneri Müller Argoviensis (1874: 394)

3. Plants usually dioecious; young branches densely tomentose; blades chartaceous, with conspicuously prominent tertiary veins; staminate inflorescences 4–10(–16) cm long .......................................................................................................... B. paraguariensis

- Plants usually monoecious; young branches sericeous; blades membranous, with imprinted to slightly prominent tertiary veins; staminate inflorescences 0.6–3 cm long.............................................................................................................................................4

4. Subshrub to shrub, 0.15–0.80 m tall; young branches densely sericeous, with simple or simple and stellate trichomes; staminate peduncle 5–25 mm long, densely sericeous, pubescent to tomentose; staminate cymules congested to slightly sparse along the axis; staminate pedicels with simple and/or stellate trichomes. Argentina and Paraguay.................................................. B. argentinensis

- Shrub, 0.4–2 m tall; young branches sparsely sericeous, with only simple trichomes; staminate peduncle 3–6 mm long, sericeous; staminate cymules sparse along the axis; staminate pedicels usually glabrous. Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.............. B. fluviatilis