[For James Petiver, 1658-1718, English apothecary and botanist]

Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, slightly woody at base. Leaves alternate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, virgate, spikelike racemes, 8-30-flowered. Flowers: sepals 4; stamens 4-8; carpels 1; ovary 1-loculed; style absent; stigma 1. Fruits achenes, elongate-cuneate, apically 2-lobed, each lobe tipped with 1-3 sharply reflexed spines 3-5 mm. Seed 1.

Species 1: North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Holm, T. 1915. Medicinal plants of North America. 95. Petiveria alliacea Linnaeus. Merck’s Rep. 24: 266-270. Ormond, W. T. and M. C. B. Pinheiro. 1974. Contribuição ao estudo biosistemático e ecológico de Petiveria alliacea L. Revista Brasil. Biol. 34: 123-142. Ormond, W. T. and M. C. B. Pinheiro. 1975. Um elemento a mais para o esclarecimento taxonômico de Petiveria alliacea Linnaeus: Número de cromossomos. Revista Brasil. Biol. 35: 39-44.

Lower Taxon

• Petiveria alliacea Linnaeus