干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Recent molecular arid morphological studies suggest that neither Acleisanthes nor Selinocarpus (Nyctaginaceae) are monophyletic as currently circumscribed. Further, these data provide no basis for Continued recognition of the monotypic genus Ammocodon as separate from these other two genera. Therefore, all 8 Selinocarpus species and the monospecific Ammocodon are transferred to Acleisanthes: 3 additional Selinocarpus species are reduced to The genus Acleisanthes is rime composed of 16 species. distributed primarily in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America. Diagnostic features of Acleisanthes include an herbaceous or woody pereniial habit in arid environments, and the presence of both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers often simultaneously on an individual plant. Further, flowers are usually axillary and subtended by 1 to 4 subulate braets, with chasmogamous flowers frequently white or yellow and funnelform to salverform.