3. Tragia ramosa Torr.

Map 1688, Pl. 384 a, b

Stems 10–30(–50) cm long, prostrate or loosely ascending, not twining or rarely slightly twining (but not regularly climbing in adjacent vegetation), pubescent with moderate to dense, short, mostly curved, softer, nonstinging hairs and moderate longer, stiff, spreading, stinging hairs. Leaves short- to less commonly long-petiolate, the stipules 1–4 mm long. Leaf blades 1–4 cm long, linear to narrowly oblong or lanceolate-triangular (those of the lowermost leaves sometimes ovate with a cordate base but these withered or absent by flowering), rounded to truncate at the base, rounded or more commonly angled to a sharply or occasionally bluntly pointed tip, the surfaces pubescent with sparse to moderate nonstinging hairs and usually moderate stinging hairs. Inflorescences with 1(2) pistillate flower(s) at the base below 2–10(–20) staminate nodes. Staminate flowers with the bract 1–2 mm long; the flower stalk 0.7–2.0 mm long, the persistent lower portion 0.4–1.5 mm long; the calyx 3- or 4-lobed, 1.0–2.2 mm long; the stamens(2)3 or 4. Pistillate flowers with the bract 1.5–2.0 mm long; the flower stalk 1.0–1.5 mm long at flowering, elongating to 2.0–2.5 mm long at fruiting; the calyx (5)6-lobed, 0.8–2.5 mm long at flowering (shorter than the pistil), enlarging to 1.5–3.0 mm long at fruiting; the styles fused toward the base less than 1/3 of their length, the stigmas nearly smooth. Fruits 3–4 mm long, 6–8 mm in diameter, moderately pubescent with mostly stinging hairs. Seeds 2.5–3.5 mm long. 2n=44. June–September.

Scattered in the western half of the Ozark Division, uncommon farther east (southwestern U.S. east to Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas; Mexico). Limestone and dolomite glades; also rarely dry pastures, ditches, 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 T. urticifolia. Tragia ramosa tends to occur in very droughty exposed habitats and tends to appear smaller and grayer than does T. betonicifolia. However, both species are variable in overall appearance, and it is better to depend on the flower characters to separate them than the overlapping trends in vegetative differences.