Contains 9 accepted taxa overall.

Characteristics
Lechea L.
PINWEED
Classification
MALVALES
Lechea
Citation
LECHEA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 90. 1753.
-
TYPE: Lechea minor Linnaeus 1753. Lectotypified by Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S., ed. 2. 2: 542. 1913.
Species
Scientific Name Common Name Herbarium Specimens Status Photos
Lechea cernua NODDING PINWEED; SCRUB PINWEED Native Endemic Threatened-State
Lechea deckertii DECKERT'S PINWEED Native
Lechea divaricata DRYSAND PINWEED; SPREADING PINWEED Native Endemic Endangered-State
Lechea lakelae LAKELA'S PINWEED Native Endemic Endangered-State
Lechea minor THYMELEAF PINWEED Native
Lechea mucronata HAIRY PINWEED Native
Lechea pulchella var. ramosissima LEGGETT'S PINWEED Native
Lechea sessiliflora PINELAND PINWEED Native
Lechea torreyi PIEDMONT PINWEED Native FACU (NWPL)
[Family identification key]
1.  Mature stems villous with spreading hairs
2
1.  Mature stems glabrous to strigose or sericeous, the hairs mostly appressed (young stems sometimes villous in L. cernua)
3
2.  Leaves <1 cm long; sepals uniformly pubescent, the inner broad sepals not bowed or only slightly so; fruit ellipsoid, indehiscent, distinctly exserted from calyx (longer than sepals), usually 1-seeded
2.  Leaves often >1.5 cm long; sepals sparsely pubescent along midvein to glabrous, the inner broad sepals distinctly U- or V-shaped in cross-section; fruit subglobose, splitting into 3 valves, subequal to calyx, usually with 2-4 seeds
3.  Outer slender sepals subequal to longer than the broad inner sepals; calyx glabrous to strigose, the surface visible
4
3.  Outer slender sepals shorter than the broad inner sepals; calyx glabrous to strigose, the surface visible, or densely cinereous and the surface occluded (L. torreyi)
5
4.  Leaves usually >1.5 mm wide; outer slender sepals distinctly longer than the inner broad sepals and often subequal to mature capsule; mature capsule brownish (stigma remnants obscure)
4.  Leaves usually <1.5 mm wide; outer slender sepals subequal to the inner broad sepals and shorter than mature capsule; mature capsule usually straw-colored (stigma remnants conspicuous)
5.  Leaves sparsely to densely sericeous or strigose on both surfaces; flowers in fascicles of 2-3, or some solitary
5.  Leaves glabrous on the upper surface, variously pubescent to glabrous on the lower surface; flowers solitary
6
6.  Leaves (10)15-30 m long, with an indurate, callous tip (ca. 0.25 mm long)
6.  Leaves to 10 mm long (rarely to 20 mm long), lacking an indurate, callous tip
7
7.  Stems woody at base; sepals spreading in fruit; fruit subglobose and strongly exserted (1/3–1/2 of length)
7.  Stems mostly herbaceous to slightly woody; sepals not spreading in fruit or only slightly so; fruit cylindric to ovoid and included to slightly exserted
8
8.  Stems, leaves, and calyx glabrous; mature fruit slightly exceeding inner sepals
8.  Stems and leaves at least partly sericeous, strigose, or pilose, the calyx usually densely cinereous, the surface occluded; mature fruit subequal to shorter than the inner sepals
Genus Synonyms
Synonym Full Citation Basionym Type
Lechidium Lechidium Spach, in Hooker, Companion Bot. Mag. 2: 286. 1837. TYPE: Lechidium drummondii Spach 1837.