The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California

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Names are linked to treatments from the Manual


Key to CRYPTANTHA Key to Groups

N.B.: couplets are linked, e.g., 1. is linked to 1'.

  1. Biennial or perennial herb, generally with persistent basal rosette or tuft of leaves; caudex present in perennial herb, generally woody (except C. virginensis)
Group 1
  1' Annual, basal leaves generally not persistent, generally not green in fruit; caudex 0
 
    2. Most flowers with 1 nutlet (sometimes 2)
Group 2
    2' Most flowers with 4 nutlets (sometimes 2–3)
Group 3

Key to CRYPTANTHA Group 1: Bien or Per

N.B.: couplets are linked, e.g., 1. is linked to 1'.

  1. Sepals 1–2 mm, 2–3 mm in fruit; inflorescence generally open in fruit, flowers pedicelled to subsessile; basal leaves not persistent, not green in fruit; woody caudex 0
 
    2. Inflorescence dense in fruit; flowers subsessile, ascending to erect in fruit; nutlets generally equal
4 C. holoptera
    2' Inflorescence open in fruit; flowers pedicelled, spreading in fruit; nutlets generally of 2 kinds, 1 > other 2–3
3 C. racemosa
  1' Sepals 2–10 mm, 3.5–15 mm in fruit; inflorescence ± dense in fruit, flowers subsessile; basal leaves persistent, generally green in fruit; caudex present, generally woody (not so in C. virginensis)
 
    3. Corolla tube > sepals
 
      4. Corolla and appendages yellow; nutlet back smooth, groove closed, groove edges ± overlapping
C. confertiflora
      4' Corolla white, appendages light yellow; nutlet back rough, groove open, narrowed near middle, groove edges elevated
C. flavoculata
    3' Corolla tube = or < sepals
 
      5. Stems prostrate to ascending; nutlet back clearly curved, surface smooth; groove closed, edges generally overlapping
C. cinerea var. abortiva
      5' Stems ± erect (generally cespitose in C. humilis); nutlet back straight, surface smooth or rough; groove closed or open, edges not overlapping
 
        6. Stems 1–2 cm, < or = basal leaves; basal leaves generally < 1 cm
C. roosiorum
        6' Stems > 2 cm, > basal leaves; basal leaves generally >> 1 cm
 
          7. Nutlet 5–6 mm; sepals in fruit 9–15 mm — volcanic soils, c High Sierra Nevada
C. crymophila
          7' Nutlet < 5 mm; sepals in fruit 4–11 mm
 
            8. Nutlet lanceolate to narrowly ovate, inner surface (between groove and margin) generally smooth, shiny
 
              9. Corolla tube 2–3 mm; nutlet 2–3 mm; east slope c&s High Sierra Nevada, White and Inyo Mountains, n Desert Mountains
C. nubigena
              9' Corolla tube 3–4 mm; nutlet 3–4 mm; Klamath Ranges, High Cascade Range, Modoc Plateau, ne East of Sierra Nevada (Sweetwater Mtns)
C. sobolifera
            8' Nutlet ovate, inner surface generally rough or wrinkled
 
              10. Biennial or short-lived perennial herb; caudex not woody
3 C. virginensis
              10' Long-lived perennial herb; caudex woody
 
                11. Edge of nutlet groove not elevated; Great Basin Floristic Province
C. humilis
                11' Edge of nutlet groove elevated; Desert Mountains
C. tumulosa

Key to CRYPTANTHA Group 2: Ann; nutlet gen 1(2)

N.B.: couplets are linked, e.g., 1. is linked to 1'.

  1. Basal leaves tufted, some green and persistent in fruit; stem hairs soft-downy under densely spreading bristles
3 C. virginensis
  1' Basal leaves not tufted, generally withered in fruit; stem hairs strigose, rough-hairy, or bristly, not soft-downy
 
    2. Nutlet back granular, tubercled, or papillate, shiny or dull, not smooth
 
      3. Sepals 2–6 mm, 4–10 mm in fruit
 
        4. Sepals densely white-silky-hairy, hairs appressed to ascending; nutlet back generally fine-granular to papillate, tip ± beaked; groove raised — n Cascade Range Foothills (Shasta, Tehama cos.)
C. crinita
        4' Sepals strigose to ascending-rough-hairy and spreading-bristly; nutlet back granular to tubercled, tip not beaked; groove not raised
 
          5. Sepals 4–6 mm, 5–10 mm in fruit; corolla limb generally < 3 mm wide; appendages white to light yellow
C. barbigera
          5' Sepals 2–3 mm, 3.5–5 mm in fruit; corolla limb 3–6 mm wide; appendages generally bright yellow
2 C. intermedia
      3' Sepals 1.5–2.5 mm, 2–4 mm in fruit
 
        6. Flower spreading to recurved in fruit; sepal tips recurved in fruit; nutlet curved
C. recurvata
        6' Flower ascending to ± erect in fruit; sepal tips ± straight, erect in fruit; nutlet ± straight
 
          7. Inflorescence with some bracts leaf-like, = or > flower; nutlets generally 2, 1 nutlet tubercled, other smooth or shiny
2 C. maritima
          7' Inflorescence bracts 0 or << flower; nutlet generally 1
 
            8. Sepals ovate to elliptic in fruit; nutlet margin sharp-angled to narrowly winged near tip; throat appendages generally bright yellow; style generally = nutlet
C. utahensis
            8' Sepals lanceolate to linear-oblong in fruit; nutlet margin rounded; throat appendages white to light yellow; style < nutlet
 
              9. Nutlet axis ± parallel to sepals; nutlet groove expanded at base into narrow, ± flat triangle with bottom side curved inward
C. decipiens
              9' Nutlet axis ± perpendicular to sepals; nutlet groove expanded at base into wide, excavated triangle with 3 straight sides
C. excavata
    2' Nutlet back smooth throughout, shiny
 
      10. Sepal hairs curved to ± hooked
C. flaccida
      10' Sepal hairs straight
 
        11. Sepals generally soft-hairy, not bristly, hairs appressed to stiffly ascending — Great Basin Floristic Province, Desert
C. gracilis
        11' Sepals strigose and bristly, bristles reflexed, spreading, or ascending
 
          12. Sepals 6–10 mm in fruit; longest sepal bristles 3–4 mm in fruit — w Sonoran Desert (Borrego Valley)
C. ganderi
          12' Sepals 1–6 mm in fruit; longest sepal bristles < 3 mm in fruit
 
            13. Nutlet groove clearly off-center (nearer one margin than center), closed (edges overlapping), abruptly flared open at base; inflorescences axillary and terminal, ± spheric in flower
C. glomeriflora
            13' Nutlet groove ± central, open to closed, generally forked at base; inflorescence terminal, generally elongate in flower
 
              14. Sepals generally 3–6 mm in fruit
 
                15. Sepal tips with bristles reflexed
2 C. nemaclada
                15' Sepal tips with bristles mostly spreading or ascending
 
                  16. Sepals strigose and clearly bristly, bristles spreading to reflexed; nutlet groove flat (edges not sharp-angled); stem hairs ± soft, ascending to spreading
3 C. clevelandii
                  16' Sepals strigose and rough-hairy, hairs generally ascending; nutlet groove raised, edges sharp-angled; stem strigose to spreading-rough-hairy
2 C. milobakeri
              14' Sepals generally 1–3 mm in fruit
 
                17. Sepals 1–2 mm in fruit
C. microstachys
                17' Sepals 2–3 mm in fruit
 
                  18. Inflorescence with evident bracts, some leaf-like, = or > flower
2 C. maritima
                  18' Inflorescence bracts 0
 
                    19. Nutlet tip beaked; serpentine soils
C. hispidula
                    19' Nutlet tip acute; nonserpentine soils
2 C. milobakeri

Key to CRYPTANTHA Group 3: Ann; nutlets (2--3)4

N.B.: couplets are linked, e.g., 1. is linked to 1'.

  1.Plants generally wider than tall, rounded to cushion-like — branches many, dense, spreading to ascending
 
    2. Calyx circumscissile below middle in fruit, limb and upper tube falling as 1 unit, lower part of tube scarious, persistent, cup-like in fruit
C. circumscissa
    2' Calyx intact in fruit, not circumscissile
2 C. micrantha
  1' Plants generally taller than wide, not rounded or cushion-like
 
    3. Basal leaves tufted, some green, persistent in fruit; stem hairs soft-downy under densely spreading bristles
3 C. virginensis
    3' Basal leaves not tufted, generally withered in fruit; stem hairs strigose, rough-hairy, or bristly, not soft-downy
 
      4. Nutlet margin clearly sharp-angled (in part or throughout; acute in X-section) or winged
 
        5. Nutlet back smooth or minutely rippled to weakly tubercled, shiny
 
          6. Nutlet back smooth
 
            7. Corolla limb 3–5 mm wide
2 C. mohavensis
            7' Corolla limb 1–2 mm wide
2 C. watsonii
          6' Nutlet back minutely rippled to weakly tubercled
 
            8. Nutlets generally of 2 kinds, 1 generally > other 2–3
3 C. racemosa
            8' Nutlets generally equal
 
              9. Nutlet inner surface smooth, flat; groove edges not elevated
C. costata
              9' Nutlet inner surface weakly tubercled, not flat; groove edges generally elevated
4 C. holoptera
        5' Nutlet back clearly tubercled to granular, dull or shiny
 
          10. Nutlet margin sharp-angled, not clearly winged (except sometimes at tip in C. racemosa)
 
            11. Nutlets generally equal; inflorescence dense in fruit; flowers subsessile in fruit
4 C. holoptera
            11' Nutlets generally of 2 kinds, 1 generally > other 2–3; inflorescence open in fruit; flowers pedicelled in fruit
3 C. racemosa
          10' Nutlet margin clearly winged (1 nutlet generally not winged in C. pterocarya)
 
            12. Nutlets generally of 2 kinds, 3–4 winged, 1 sometimes not winged; nutlet wing generally lobed at tip, 0.5–1 mm wide; sepals ovate to lanceolate and 4–6 mm in fruit, densely strigose, bristles few or 0
C. pterocarya
            12' Nutlets all winged; nutlet wing not lobed, < 0.5 mm wide; sepals oblong to linear and 2.5–4 mm in fruit, bristly to rough-hairy, hairs spreading to ascending
 
              13. Corolla limb 1–2 mm wide; nutlet margin evenly and narrowly winged, back sparsely tubercled, groove opened widely below middle; e Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert
4 C. holoptera
              13' Corolla limb 4–6 mm wide; nutlet margin narrowly winged near base, widely winged above middle, back fine-tubercled to white-granular; groove narrowly open at base; s California Floristic Province, w Mojave Desert
C. oxygona
      4' Nutlet margin generally rounded throughout, not sharp-angled or winged
 
        14. Nutlets clearly of 2 kinds, 1 generally > other 2–3 (back surface also different from other 3 in C. micromeres)
 
          15. Calyx ± spheric in fruit, sepals 1–1.5 mm in fruit; nutlets deltate to ovate, shiny, 3 sparsely tubercled, 1 smooth; s California Floristic Province
C. micromeres
          15' Calyx ± oblong to lanceolate in fruit, sepals 2–4 mm in fruit; nutlets lanceolate to narrowly ovate, ± dull, all white-granular; East of Sierra Nevada, Desert
 
            16. Distal stem part ascending to erect, hairs appressed and spreading; inflorescence generally dense, flowers spreading to ascending in fruit
C. angustifolia
            16' Distal stem part spreading, prostrate, or sprawling over rocks, other plants, hairs appressed to ascending; inflorescence open, flowers ± appressed in fruit
C. dumetorum
        14' Nutlets generally equal, back surface similar
 
          17. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, flowers ± evenly distributed along stem
 
            18. Style > nutlet; sepals 1–3 mm in fruit; inflorescence clearly bracted — bracts generally = sepals
2 C. micrantha
            18' Style = or < nutlet; sepals 4–6 mm in fruit; inflorescence bracts 0 or sparse
 
              19. Inflorescence bracts 0; nutlet densely papillate
2 C. echinella
              19' Inflorescence bracts sparse; nutlet tubercled to sparsely papillate
4 C. hooveri
          17' Inflorescence mostly terminal; lower flowers sometimes axillary, subtended by reduced leaves
 
            20. Nutlet back smooth, shiny
 
              21. Nutlet groove clearly off-center, ± curved parallel to nearest margin
C. affinis
              21' Nutlet groove central, straight
 
                22. Nutlet margin ± angled (obtuse in X-section), especially near tip
 
                  23. Corolla limb 3–5 mm wide
2 C. mohavensis
                  23' Corolla limb 1–2 mm wide
2 C. watsonii
                22' Nutlet margin generally rounded throughout, sometimes angled below middle
 
                  24. Inflorescence generally dense, most flowers touching in fruit
 
                    25. Style = or > nutlets; main stems generally prostrate to decumbent in fruit; flowers generally subtended by bracts
C. leiocarpa
                    25' Style < nutlets (generally 2/3 nutlet length); main stem, branches ascending to erect; flower bracts generally 0
 
                      26. Nutlets oblong-lanceolate, nutlet back rounded
3 C. clevelandii
                      26' Nutlets oblong-ovate, nutlet back ± flat
2 C. torreyana
                  24' Inflorescence generally open in fruit, most flowers not touching in fruit
 
                    27. Sepals ± 2 mm, 2.5–4 mm in fruit, generally rough-hairy, hairs ascending, spreading bristles generally 1–4 per sepal; nutlet grayish — s Sierra Nevada (Tulare Co.)
C. incana
                    27' Sepals 1.5–3 mm, 3–6 mm in fruit, strigose and bristly, spreading bristles > 5 per sepal; nutlet brownish or mottled
 
                      28. Nutlet base ± truncate, groove flared open at base, sometimes forked; — serpentine soils, n&c Sierra Nevada
3 C. mariposae
                      28' Nutlet base ± rounded, groove ± closed throughout, ± forked at base
 
                        29. Nutlet back flat, ± triangular in X-section
2 C. torreyana
                        29' Nutlet back flat to rounded, not triangular in X-section
 
                          30. Sepal tip bristles spreading to ascending
3 C. clevelandii
                          30' Sepal tip bristles reflexed
2 C. nemaclada
            20' Nutlet back papillate, granular, or tubercled, shiny or dull
 
              31. Nutlet ± 1.5 mm
 
                32. Nutlet back granular to tuberculate throughout; San Joaquin Valley
4 C. hooveri
                32' Nutlet back fine-granular to smooth below middle, fine-granular to minutely tubercled above middle; s Channel Islands (San Clemente, San Nicolas islands)
C. traskiae
              31' Nutlet generally > 1.5 mm
 
                33. Corolla limb 3–6 mm wide, appendages bright yellow (white to light yellow in C. mariposae)
 
                  34. Nutlet beaked, base ± truncate; corolla limb ± 3 mm wide
3 C. mariposae
                  34' Nutlet tapered (tip acute or acuminate), base ± rounded; corolla limb generally > 3 mm wide
 
                    35. Style = or < nutlet
2 C. intermedia
                    35' Style > nutlet
2 C. muricata
                33' Corolla limb generally < 3 mm wide, appendages white to light yellow
 
                  36. Most stem hairs ascending or appressed, spreading hairs 0 or few
 
                    37. Nutlets lanceolate, tip tapered, back densely tubercled; sepals 6–10 mm in fruit
C. nevadensis
                    37' Nutlets ovate to deltate, tip acuminate, back tubercled (also fine-granular in C. simulans); sepals 3–7 mm in fruit
 
                      38. Inflorescence dense in fruit, flowers generally clustered near axis tip
 
                        39. Nutlet back strongly tubercled; San Joaquin Valley, < 150 m
4 C. hooveri
                        39' Nutlet back sparsely low-tubercled and densely fine-granular; mtns > 650 m
2 C. simulans
                      38' Inflorescence open in fruit, flowers well spaced on axis
 
                        40. Nutlet back densely high-tubercled, tubercle tips translucent; style ± > nutlet; c Mojave Desert (near Barstow)
2 C. clokeyi
                        40' Nutlet back sparsely low-tubercled, densely fine-granular; style = or < nutlet; mtns > 650 m
2 C. simulans
                  36' Most stem hairs spreading, sometimes also strigose
 
                    41. Nutlet back densely-fine-papillate
2 C. echinella
                    41' Nutlet back tubercled (sometimes weakly so in C. ambigua, C. mariposae)
 
                      42. Nutlet beaked, base ± truncate, back generally brown — serpentine soils, n&c Sierra Nevada
3 C. mariposae
                      42' Nutlet tapered to tip, acute, or acuminate, base ± rounded, back grayish brown to light gray
 
                        43. Sepals 1–2 mm, 2–4 mm in fruit
2 C. muricata
                        43' Sepals 2–4 mm, 4–7 mm in fruit
 
                          44. Style > nutlet; nutlet ± 3 mm; c Mojave Desert (near Barstow)
2 C. clokeyi
                          44' Style = or < nutlet; nutlet 1–2.5 mm; Cascade Range, n&c Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, Great Basin Floristic Province
 
                            45. Nutlet back weakly tubercled to sparsely papillate; Cascade Range, n&c Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Floristic Province
C. ambigua
                            45' Nutlet back tubercled; San Joaquin Valley
4 C. hooveri


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