POLEMONIACEAE

PHLOX FAMILY

Robert W. Patterson, Family Editor

Annual, perennial herb, shrub, vine
Leaves simple or compound, cauline (or most in basal rosette), alternate or opposite; stipules 0
Inflorescence: cymes, heads, or flowers solitary
Flower: calyx generally 5-ribbed, ribs often connected by translucent membranes that are generally torn by growing fruit; corolla generally 5-lobed, radial or bilateral, salverform to bell-shaped, throat often well defined; stamens generally 5, epipetalous, attached at same or different levels, filaments of same or different lengths, pollen white, yellow, blue, or red; ovary superior, chambers generally 3, style 1, stigmas generally 3
Fruit: capsule
Seeds 1–many, gelatinous or not when wet
Genera in family: 19 genera, 320 species: Am, n Eur, n Asia; some cultivated (Cantua, Cobaea (cup-and-saucer vine), Collomia, Gilia, Ipomopsis, Linanthus, Phlox )
Recent taxonomic note: *See also revised taxonomy of Porter and Johnson 2000 Aliso 19(1):55–91; Porter 1998 Aliso 17:83–85
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IPOMOPSIS

SCARLET GILIA

Dieter H. Wilken

Annual, perennial herb
Stem generally branched at base
Leaves alternate, simple, gradually smaller upward, entire to pinnately or palmately lobed; lobes generally small-pointed at tip
Inflorescence: clusters, lateral and 1-sided or terminal and open to head-like, rarely solitary and pedicelled in lower axils
Flower: calyx generally bell-shaped, tube and sinuses membranous, lobes generally small-pointed at tip; corolla bell-shaped or salverform, radial or bilateral, white to red or lavender
Seeds slender, angled, slightly winged, white to light brown
Species in genus: 30 species: w North America, se US, s South America
Etymology: (Greek, striking appearance)
Reference: [Grant & Wilken 1988 Bot Gaz 149:443–449]
Perennial species cross-pollinated, annual species generally self-pollinated. Distinguished from Gilia by inflorescence, leaf morphology, chromosome number, flavonoid chemistry.