Oryctes nevadensis
Oryctes nevadensis is a species of plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). It is the only species of the genus Oryctes.
Description
Vegetative characteristics
Oryctes nevadensis is a dwarf, annual plant with a height of only 5 to 20 cm. It is little branching, usually three branches - a middle and two side - formed. By the hair they act tomentose - frosted, the trichomes on leaves, twigs and the cup is simple, branched or glandular. In the latter the three to Trichomstiele fünfzellig and the heads are switched on or multicellular.
The leaf blades of the small, somewhat fleshy leaves are ovate, oblong - ovate or linear, the margin is entire or slightly wavy. They are 10 to 30 mm long and are on 5 to 10 mm long petioles.
Inflorescences and flowers
The stalked flowers are in terminal, racemose inflorescences from four to five flowers. The stems are shorter than the flowers. The zygomorphe calyx is bell-shaped, five-piece and about 2 to 3.5 mm long. The unequal, triangular and elongated parts of the calyx shorter than the calyx tube. The approximately 6 cm long, yellow - green or yellowish to purplish- brown crown is tubular. The five Kronlappen are short, erect, triangular, slightly unequal in length, as long as wide.
The stamens are usually not beyond the crown, only the longest two can as long as or only slightly longer than the crown. The crown base near the accreting with a rectangular structure, cylindrical or slightly pfriemförmigen stamens are about five times longer than the anthers. They are fixed to the base of the filaments, short, wide and about 0.8 to 0.9 mm long. The theca are slightly different in size and are free from each other in the lower 1/3 to 1/4.
The ovary is pear-shaped to almost spherical, the nectaries are created annular, the stylus is cylindrical, the disc-shaped scar, pressed with a centrally located hole.
Fruit and seeds
The fruits are capsules with a diameter of 6 to 7 mm, they are magnified by a to a slightly longer shot through with weak veins calyx closely surrounded. There are about 10 to 15 seeds in each fruit. This are pressed nearly circular and strong. They have a diameter of 2.2 to 3.5 mm, the surface is like a honeycomb. The edge is boosted up to the hyaline. The embryo is helically curved, the cotyledons are shorter than the remainder of the embryo. The endosperm is sparse pronounced.
Occurrences and locations
The only species of the genus growing endemic in 1,200 to 1,800 m altitude in the mountains of California and the western Nevada. They are found in deep, loose sand dunes of stable, in hollows and on different slopes, but always in the dependence of sand dunes or deep sand.
Endangering
Reports of presence of the species, make it likely that there are only about 24,000 individual plants of Oryctes nevadensis in Nevada, a trend in the development can not be determined. Through the " Nevada Natural Heritage Program," she was inducted into the "Sensitive List", in other conservation programs is the way out.