Family: Cistaceae
Pinweed
Gary Fewless
Key to Wisconsin Lechea
- 1a.Stem pubescence spreading, not appressed L. mucronata
- 1b.Stem pubescence appressed 2
- 2a.Outer sepals longer than or equaling the inner sepals L. tenuifolia
- 2b.Outer sepals shorter than the inner sepals 3
- 3a.Mature capsules 1.0–1.8 mm wide, with 2–4 seeds L. stricta
- 3b.Mature capsules 1.5–2.1 mm wide, with 4–6 seeds L. intermedia
The flowers of this genus are highly reduced and thought to be wind-pollinated. However, on very warm sunny mornings, the reddish petals do expand past the sepals and can be rather showy en masse. A taxonomically difficult group, but L. mucronata and L. tenuifolia are quite distinctive and easy to recognize. All of our species produce prostrate basal shoots in the late fall that overwinter until the next season, but these are not often collected.
