Pectocarya

Pectocarya
Pectocarya recurvata (fruit)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Subfamily: Boraginoideae
Genus:
DC. ex Meisn.
Species[1]

13; see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Ctenospermum Post & Kuntze (1903), nom. nud.
  • Gruvelia A.DC. (1846)
  • Ktenospermum Lehm. (1837)

Pectocarya is a plant genus of about 15[2] species in the family Boraginaceae. Plants in this genus are known generally as combseeds. They are small annual plants which bear tiny white flowers no more than 3 millimeters in diameter. Their fruits are nutlets which often have small projections that look like the teeth of a comb, hence their common name. The nutlets usually come in clusters of four. These plants are found mainly in western North America.

Species

13 species are accepted.[1]

  • Pectocarya anisocarpa Veno
  • Pectocarya anomala I.M.Johnst.
  • Pectocarya boliviana (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst.
  • Pectocarya dimorpha (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst.
  • Pectocarya heterocarpa (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst. – chuckwalla combseed
  • Pectocarya lateriflora (Lam.) DC.
  • Pectocarya linearis (Ruiz & Pav.) DC. – sagebrush combseed
  • Pectocarya penicillata A.DC. – sleeping combseed, winged combseed, shortleaf combseed
  • Pectocarya peninsularis I.M.Johnst. – peninsula combseed
  • Pectocarya platycarpa (Munz & I.M.Johnst.) Munz & I.M.Johnst. – broadfruit combseed
  • Pectocarya pusilla (A.DC.) A.Gray – little combseed, purple prairieclover
  • Pectocarya recurvata I.M.Johnst. – curvenut combseed, combbur
  • Pectocarya setosa A.Gray – moth combseed

References