1. Tragia betonicifolia Nutt.

T. urticifolia Michx. var. texana Shinners

Map 1686, Pl. 384 e–g

Stems 10–40(–60) cm long, prostrate or ascending, not twining or rarely slightly twining (but not regularly climbing in adjacent vegetation), pubescent with moderate short, straight to curved, softer, nonstinging hairs and sparse to moderate longer, stiff, spreading, stinging hairs. Leaves short- to long-petiolate, the stipules 2–5 mm long. Leaf blades 1–5 cm long, lanceolate to ovate-triangular, rounded, truncate, or cordate (often broadly so) at the base, rounded or more commonly angled to a sharply or occasionally bluntly pointed tip, the surfaces pubescent with usually sparse nonstinging hairs and sparse to moderate stinging hairs. Inflorescences with 1(2) pistillate flower(s) at the base below 14–75 staminate nodes. Staminate flowers with the bract 1–2 mm long; the flower stalk 0.7–1.0 mm long, the persistent lower portion 0.3–0.6 mm long; the calyx 3–5-lobed, 1.2–2.3 mm long; the stamens(2)3(4). Pistillate flowers with the bract 1.5–2.0 mm long; the flower stalk 0.7–1.0 mm long at flowering, elongating to 3–4 mm long at fruiting; the calyx (5)6-lobed, 1.5–3.0 mm long at flowering (longer than the pistil), enlarging to 3–5 mm long at fruiting; the styles fused in the lower 1/3–1/2, the stigmas papillose. Fruits 4–5 mm long, 7–9 mm in diameter, moderately pubescent with mostly stinging hairs. Seeds 3–4 mm long. June–September.

Scattered south of the Missouri River, mostly in the Ozark and Unglaciated Plains Divisions (Kansas to Texas east to Missouri and Louisiana, possibly also Alabama). Glades, upland prairies, ledges and tops of bluffs, savannas, and openings of dry upland forests; often on limestone or dolomite substrates; also pastures, old fields, railroads, and roadsides.

As noted above, this species was first documented from Missouri by Miller and Webster (1967), who redetermined materials that Steyermark (1963) had referred to the closely related T. urticifolia. Tragia betonicifolia is the most commonly encountered member of the genus in Missouri. Broader-leaved individuals are sometimes misdetermined as T. cordata, but that species has a twining habit, larger, more heart-shaped leaves, and larger fruits and seeds, among other differences.