Neokochia americana
Neokochia americana (syn. Bassia americana, Kochia americana) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family, subfamily Camphorosmoideae,[1] known by the common name green molly.
| Neokochia americana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Neokochia |
| Species: | N. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Neokochia americana | |
Description
Neokochia americana is a squat dwarf shrub growing many sprawling, mostly unbranched stems to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. The stems are covered in small, fleshy, knobby leaves less than 2 centimeters long. The stems and foliage are sometimes slightly hairy. Leaf anatomy is of the "C3 Neokochia americana type" with a thick-walled aqueous tissue.[1] White-woolly flowers appear singly or in small clusters. The fruiting perianth is 5-winged.
Distribution
Neokochia americana is native to the western United States from California to Montana to Texas, where it grows in dry, alkaline soils such as alkali flats and desert washes. A closely related species is Neokochia californica.[1]
References
- Gudrun Kadereit & Helmut Freitag: Molecular phylogeny of Camphorosmeae (Camphorosmoideae, Chenopodiaceae): Implications for biogeography, evolution of C4-photosynthesis and taxonomy, In: Taxon, Volume 60 (1), 2011, p. 51-78.