''Harpagonella'' is a genus of flowering plants in the
borage family. They are known as the grappling-hooks, because of the appearance and function of their fruits.
The strange fruits are two small nutlets enclosed in a burlike calyx, which is armed with numerous spines covered in minute, hooked barbs.
These diminutive,
annual plants are found in sandy, clayey, and gravelly soils, and have small white flowers. This genus is native to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, and is found in southern
California, southern
Arizona, northern
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
, and the
Baja California peninsula.
The genus has been regarded as one of the most morphologically distinctive of the Amsinckiinae, largely because of their unusual fruits. The genus was formerly monotypic, but the plants native to Arizona have since been recognized as a distinct species.
Species
* ''
Harpagonella arizonica
''Harpagonella'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family. They are known as the grappling-hooks, because of the appearance and function of their fruits. The strange fruits are two small nutlets enclosed in a burlike calyx, which is ...
'' (
syn. ''H. palmeri'' var. ''arizonica'') – Commonly known as the Arizona grappling-hook.
Native to Arizona, northern Sonora, and southeastern Baja California. Type collected near
Lowell, Arizona
Lowell is a populated place situated in Cochise County, Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its ...
. Found on sandy or gravelly soils. Differs from ''H. palmeri'' in having significantly larger fruits.
* ''
Harpagonella palmeri
''Harpagonella'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Boraginaceae, borage family. They are known as the grappling-hooks, because of the appearance and function of their fruits. The strange fruits are two small nutlets enclosed in a burlike cal ...
'' – Commonly known as Palmer's grappling-hook
or stick-tight.
Native to southern California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. Type collected on
Guadalupe Island, Baja California by
Edward Palmer. Found on clayey soils.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae genera
Flora of Northern America
{{Boraginaceae-stub