| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information) |
|
|
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, biennial, perennial herb, rarely dioecious, taprooted or rhizome generally slender
Leaves simple, generally opposite; stipules generally 0; petiole generally 0; blade entire, sheath generally 0
Inflorescence: cyme, generally open; flowers few–many or flower solitary and axillary; involucre generally 0
Flower generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium sometimes present; sepals generally 5, ± free or fused into a tube, tube generally herbaceous between lobes or teeth; awns generally 0; petals generally 5 or 0, generally tapered to base (or with claw long, blade expanded), entire to 2–several-lobed, blade generally without scale-like appendages (inner surface), generally without ear-like lobes at base; stamens generally 10, generally fertile, generally free, generally from ovary base; nectaries generally 0; ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, placentas basal or free-central, styles 2–5 or 1 and 2–3-branched
Fruit: capsule or utricle (rarely modified, dehiscent), generally sessile
Seeds: appendage generally 0
Genera in family: 85 genera, 2400 species: widespread, especially arctic, alpine, temp, n hemisphere; some cultivated (Agrostemma, Arenaria, Cerastium, Dianthus, Gypsophila, Lychnis, Saponaria, Silene, Vaccaria ).
Perennial, erect, dioecious, taprooted
Leaf: stipules 0.8–3.5 mm, triangular, scarious, jagged to ciliate, white; blade linear to lanceolate; vein ± 1
Inflorescence axillary; flowers 1–4, sessile
Flower unisexual (appears bisexual); hypanthium in fruit conic to urn-shaped, abruptly expanded above; sepals 5, free, 1.1–2.1 mm, elliptic to round, ± glabrous, margin wide, scarious, white; petals 0; stamens 5, sterile in pistillate flower, 1–1.5 mm, oblong, petal-like, arising from hypanthium rim; nectaries wide; ovary sterile in staminate flower, style 3-branched in upper 1/3, ± 1.5 mm
Fruit: utricle, modified, ovoid; teeth 3, minute
Seed 1, tan
Species in genus: 2 species: sw US, Mex. Closely related to and possibly same as Achyronychia
Etymology: (Greek: fond of high places, from habitat)
| Native |
Plant glabrous except base; leaf axils densely woolly
Stems many, branched above, 10–30 cm
Leaf: blade 8–25 mm, ± fleshy
Inflorescences eventually many
Flower 2.2–4.2 mm; hypanthium green, becoming brown, thickened, ± hard, ± angled; sepals erect to spreading, ± concave, often unequal, central portion linear to oblong, fleshy, green, margin much wider, entire to irregular, white, possibly deciduous
Seed 0.9–1.1 mm, ovoid, ± compressed, red dot near narrow end
Ecology: Uncommon. Limestone outcrops
Elevation: 1200–1550 m.
Bioregional distribution: East of Sierra Nevada, n Mojave Desert
Distribution outside California: w Nevada
Flowering time: Apr–Jul