Lechea

Lechea (pinweed) is a genus in the family Cistaceae of the order Malvales.^[2] The genus contains about 18 species referred to as "pinweeds" primarily in eastern North America. Most are low-growing herbs with narrow leaves and many small flowers that resemble pinheads.^[3]

Lechea
Lechea mucronata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Cistaceae
Genus:	Lechea Kalm (1753)
Synonyms[1]
Gaura Lam. (1792), nom. illeg. Horanthes Raf. (1838) Lechidium Spach (1837)

Linnaeus named the genus Lechea for Swedish botanist Johan Leche (1704–1764), who taught in Finland and is regarded as the father of Finnish meteorology and space research, based on his documentation of the northern lights and early measurements of air temperature in collaboration with Anders Celsius.^[4]

Species

18 species are accepted.^[1]

• Lechea cernua Small
• Lechea cubensis Legg.
• Lechea deckertii Small
• Lechea divaricata Shuttlew. ex Britton
• Lechea intermedia Legg. ex Britton
• Lechea lakelae Wilbur
• Lechea maritima Legg. ex Britton
• Lechea mensalis Hodgdon
• Lechea minor L.
• Lechea mucronata Raf.
• Lechea pulchella Raf.
• Lechea racemulosa Michx.
• Lechea san-sabeana (Buckley) Hodgdon
• Lechea sessiliflora Raf.
• Lechea stricta Legg. ex Britton
• Lechea tenuifolia Michx.
• Lechea torreyi (Chapm.) Legg. ex Britton
• Lechea tripetala (Moc. & Sessé ex Dunal) Britton

Gallery

• 
  Lechea deckertii
• 
  Lechea deckertii
• 
  Lechea tenuifolia Michx. narrowleaf pinweed
• 
  Lechea maritima
• 
  Lechea pulchella