Flueggea tinctoria is a species of flowering shrub in the family Phyllanthaceae, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.

Flueggea tinctoria
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Phyllanthaceae
Genus: Flueggea
Species:
F. tinctoria
Binomial name
Flueggea tinctoria
(L.) G.L.Webster
Synonyms
  • Securinega buxifolia (Poir.) Müll.Arg.
  • Villanova buxifolia (Poir.) Pourr.
  • Rhamnus tinctoria L.
  • Securinega tinctoria (L.) Rothm.
  • Colmeiroa buxifolia (Poir.) Reut.
  • Acidoton buxifolius (Poir.) Kuntze
  • Adelia virgata Poir.
  • Securinega virgata (Poir.) Maire

Description

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Inflorescence and spines

Flueggea tinctoria is a dioecious, deciduous shrub with up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height, very branchy from the base. Branches are erect-patent, spinescent, cylindrical, smooth or warty, glabrous or puberulous and have short, small and thick hairs. Leaves are alternate and glabrous. Inflorescences have 2-4 (up to 6) fasciculate or solitary flowers, which are erect-patent in a male and sort of pendulous in the female; the pedicel of the male flowers is 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) and in the female 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in). It has 5 to 8 very exerted stamens. Fruits are 3.5–4 mm (0.14–0.16 in) in diameter, subglobose, depressed, trisulcate; pedicel is up to 15 mm (0.59 in) long. Seeds are smooth, around 2 mm × 1.5 mm (0.079 in × 0.059 in) and convex on the back and flat laterally.[2]

Distribution and habitat

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Habit

Flueggea tinctoria is native to the southwest quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula (inland Portugal and centralwestern-southwestern Spain), a good representative of the western Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests. It inhabits shrubby communities, on flood beds and torrential watercourses, on siliceous terrain, usually stony, from 20 to 200 m (66 to 656 ft) in altitude. It is especially dominant in the river basins of the Guadalquivir, Guadiana, Tagus and Douro.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ Rivers, M.C.; Monteiro-Henriques, T.; Carapeto, A.; Buira, A.; García Murillo, P. (2017). "Flueggea tinctoria". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T96431038A96431043. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T96431038A96431043.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Flueggea tinctoria" (PDF). Flora Iberica. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Flueggea tinctoria (L.) G.L.Webster". Flora-On. Retrieved 3 April 2021.