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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

PHLOX

Carolyn J. Ferguson, Suzanne C. Strakosh & Robert Patterson


Perennial or ± subshrub, open to matted or cushion-like.
Stem: prostrate or decumbent to erect.
Leaf: cauline, opposite, simple, sessile, lance- linear to elliptic, entire.
Flower: corolla salverform; stamens attached at > 1 level, some unequal.
± 60 species: North America, Siberia. (Greek: flame, ancient name for Lychnis of Caryophyllaceae) [Locklear 2009 J Bot Res Inst Texas 3:645–658] Phlox gracilis moved to Microsteris.
Unabridged references: [Cronquist 1984 Intermountain Flora 4:95–107]

Key to Phlox

1. Plant open, not ± matted to cushion-like; flowers generally 3–15 per inflorescence

2. Style < stigmas, 0.4–2 mm; calyx membrane not keeled ..... P. speciosa

2' Style >> stigmas, >= 4 mm; calyx membrane at least ± keeled

3. Lower leaves elliptic-ovate, 1–4 cm wide, glabrous; stem decumbent, flower branches erect — KR, NCoRO, NCoRH, CaR ..... P. adsurgens

3' Lower leaves lance-linear to lanceolate, < 1 cm wide, generally hairy; stem generally ± erect

4. Style 4–7 mm; stigmas below anthers, anthers below corolla throat; n CaRH (Siskiyou Co.) ..... P. hirsuta

4' Style 11–40 mm; stigmas at or above 1 or more anthers, at least 1 anther near corolla throat; SnBr, GB, DMtns

5. Corolla tube (21)35–50 mm; leaf generally lanceolate, sickle-shaped; calyx expanding in fruit; SnBr ..... P. dolichantha

5' Corolla tube 9–35(39) mm; leaf lance-linear to -ovate, not sickle-shaped; calyx not expanding in fruit; GB, DMtns ..... P. stansburyi

6. Sts generally not woody (few lower ± woody); plants together; open pinyon/juniper woodland ..... subsp. stansburyi

6' Sts generally woody; plants spaced; sagebrush scrub

7. Corolla tube 18–39 mm; internodes generally not evenly spaced; leaves generally not equal in length ..... subsp. superba

7' Corolla tube generally 8.5–19 mm; internodes evenly spaced; leaves generally equal in length ..... var. brevifolia

1' Plant dense, ± matted to cushion-like; flowers generally 1–5 per inflorescence

8. Stigmas ± = style; plant from long rhizomes — leaves in widely spaced clusters; s SNH (Tulare, Inyo cos.) ..... P. dispersa

8' Stigmas << style; plant from short rhizomes with stems clumped

9. Plant tightly cushion-like (generally difficult to determine on dried specimens); leaf generally < 4 mm

10. Lvs coarsely ciliate, hairy, not overlapped; SNH, SnBr, SNE ..... P. condensata

10' Lvs not coarsely ciliate, densely long-woolly-hairy, overlapped; CaRH (Loomis Peak) ..... P. muscoides

9' Plant ± matted to cushion-like but not tightly cushion-like; leaf generally > 4 mm

11. Glandular hairs generally present

12. Glandular hairs on herbage; c SNH, GB ..... P. douglasii

12' Glandular hairs generally on calyx; SNH, SNE ..... P. pulvinata

11' Glandular hairs 0

13. Lf sharp-tipped; calyx membrane low-keeled at base; SnGb, SnBr, PR ..... P. austromontana

13' Lf not sharp-tipped; calyx membrane generally not keeled; CA (except D)

14. Lf generally ± glabrous except base white-woolly ..... P. diffusa

14' Lf generally hairy ..... P. hoodii subsp. canescens

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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