Cressa

PLANTS: Perennial herbs with woody taproots. STEMS: erect to decumbent, usually appressed pubescent, sometimes basally woody. LEAVES: often sessile, the blades elliptic to ovate-lanceolate or reduced to scales, entire. INFLORESCENCE: axillary, l-few-flowered cymes, often clustered toward the ends of the branches. FLOWERS: sessile, the bracteoles 2, usually scale-like; sepals equal, elliptic to obovate, acute to obtuse, usually pubescent at least toward the tips; corollas less than 1 cm long, salverform, the short tube hidden by the calyx, mostly white, glabrous without, or pubescent on the lobes; stamens exserted, the filaments equal, fused into a ring where they are attached to the corolla, glandular-pubescent at the base, the anthers oblong; ovary ovoid, unilocular, or almost bilocular, 4-ovulate, apically hirsute, the styles 2 and free or united for a short distance basally, unequal; stigmas 2, capitate. FRUITS: unilocular, 4-valvate. SEEDS: 1(-2-4), ovoid, brown, glabrous to finely reticulate. NOTES: Perhaps 4 spp.; pantropical, also extending into the temperate regions in some parts of the world. (Greek: kris = from Crete). REFERENCES: Austin, Daniel F. 1998. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Convolvulaceae 30(2): 61.