Parietaria hespera var. hespera B.D. Hinton

                                                                                             Urticaceae

                                                                                  Nettle Family

                                                                                 Native

 

Western Pellitory     

                                           February Photo 

Plant Characteristics:  Annual, not stinging-hairy, stems 2-55 cm. long, decumbent to erect, sometimes matted; lvs. ovate to round, wider than long, 5-20 mm. long, base generally truncate to cordate, tip notched to short acuminate, lowest veins often from basal margin; fls., calyx lobes erect, acute or acuminate, generally 2-3 mm., subtended by an involucre of 1-3 bracts, sepals 4, fused below; fruit hidden between calyx lobes, 0.9-1.3 mm., ovate, tan to +/- brown, shiny, tip obtuse.

 

Habitat:  Moist shaded slopes about rocks, etc. at low elevations; Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, Creosote Bush Scrub, etc.; cismontane and desert s. Calif.; to central Calif.; to se U.S.; Channel Islands.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 847).

 

Name:  Parietaria, Ancient Latin name of the Italian species.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 846).  Greek, hesperos, western, land of the west, i.e., Italy, Spain. (Jaeger 118).  Possibly referring to the type locality of the Italian species?   John Johnson suggests that the name refers to the fact that this native species is found in the far western U.S.

 

General:  Rare in the study area, found only along the north facing bluff adjacent to Back Bay Dr. just past Newporter Canyon.  (my comment).     Twenty to 30 species worldwide.  (Hickman Ed. 1082).

 

Text Ref:  Abrams Vol. I 527; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 846; Hickman Ed. 1082.

Photo Ref:  Feb 05 # 13,14,20.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

First Found:  February 2005.

 

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 554.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 8/13/05.

 

                                  February Photo                                                                    February Photo