Key to Brodiaea

View taxon page for Brodiaea

(For a list of species in Brodiaea, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Staminodes 0 ..... B. orcuttii

1' Staminodes generally present (see Brodiaea santarosae)

2. Staminodes thread-like or narrow, uniformly 

tapered 

Gradually (not abruptly) narrower or smaller at base or tip.

base to tip

3. Perianth 13–28 mm; filaments 0.5–1.5 mm; staminodes 1–4 mm, 

reflexed 

Abruptly bent or curved downward or backward.

against perianth ..... B. filifolia

3' Perianth 24–36.5 mm; filaments 2.4–8.2 mm; staminodes 0 in ± 10% of flowers, or <= 7 mm, 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

to 

recurved 

Gradually curved downward or backward.

or reflexed, the shorter against perianth ..... B. santarosae

2' Staminodes 

linear 

Elongate, with nearly parallel sides; narrower than elliptic or oblong.

to 

oblong 

Longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.

, uniformly wide or abruptly narrowed at tip

4. Perianth tube narrowed above ovary

5. Staminode tips erect to 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

, margins 3/4 inrolled; stamens narrow-notched at apex between anther sacs; filaments T-shaped in ×-section

6. Perianth violet, outer midribs of 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

red-violet ..... B. minor

6' Perianth pink (white), outer midribs of lobes green – 

lobe 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

tips and inner midribs often rose-pink ..... B. matsonii

5' Staminode tips erect, margins flat to 1/2 inrolled; stamens wide-notched between anther sacs; filaments V- or Y-shaped in ×-section

7. Perianth lobes not paler toward base; perianth tube narrowed above ovary; staminodes in width < outer perianth lobes ..... B. nana

7' Perianth lobes paler toward base; perianth tube ± narrowed above ovary; staminodes in width >= outer perianth lobes ..... B. pallida

4' Perianth tube not narrowed above ovary

8. Staminodes generally > 15 mm

9. Staminode margins wavy or toothed, 1/4–1/2 inrolled, midrib not noticeably thickened ..... B. californica

9' Staminode margins generally flat, 1/4 inrolled, midrib noticeably thickened

10. Perianth lobes violet with green midrib; staminodes 14.5–21.5 mm; style 15.5–23.5 mm ..... B. leptandra

10' Perianth lobes violet (pink); staminodes 20.5–30 mm; style 20–31.5 mm ..... B. sierrae

8' Staminodes < 15 mm

11. Perianth <= 25(28) mm; filaments <= 3 mm, channeled abaxially, 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

1–2 mm fused with staminodes; style generally < ovary

12. Staminodes held away from stamens, tip narrowed abruptly to sharp point ..... B. kinkiensis

12' Staminodes leaning toward or 

appressed 

Parallel or nearly parallel to and often in contact with surface of origin; used to describe the disposition of hairs, leaves, pedicels, etc.

to stamens, tip 

obtuse 

Having a short-tapered, blunt tip or base, the sides convex or straight and converging at more than a right angle.

or notched

13. Perianth lobes spreading; staminodes not hooded at tip, appressed to stamens, margins 1/4–3/4 inrolled ..... B. insignis

13' Perianth lobes 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

; staminodes hooded at tip, leaning toward stamens, margins not to 1/4 incurved

14. Staminodes violet or white, in width < perianth lobes; filament appendages 0; ovary purple or green ..... B. jolonensis

14' Staminodes white, in width = perianth lobes; filament abaxial wings extended at tip as 2 wide, white appendages; ovary green ..... B. stellaris

11' Perianth (15)21.5–47 mm; filaments generally >= 3 mm, flat to convex abaxially, free from staminodes to base; style generally >= ovary

15. Perianth tube 

funnel-shaped 

Widening from the base more or less gradually through the throat into an ascending, spreading, or recurved limb; often applied to a fused calyx or corolla.

; staminodes held away from, < stamens ..... B. elegans subsp. elegans

15' Perianth tube 

cylindric 

Elongate, with parallel sides and, at any point, round in transverse section.

to bell-shaped; staminodes leaning toward or appressed to, > stamens

16. Staminode margins wavy or toothed; filaments with 2 thread-like appendages at anther bases ..... B. appendiculata

16' Staminode margins not wavy or toothed; filament appendages 0

17. Perianth lobes white, pink, or pale or dark violet, occasionally streaked purple; staminodes bottle-shaped (widest at base, middle), margins inrolled ..... B. rosea

18. Perianth tube <= 10(11.6) mm, lobes <= 16(20) mm; style <= 7(8.7) mm; staminodes recurving above middle as flowers age, > (1.5)3 mm longer than stamens; on serpentine (se KR, NCoRI) or volcanic soils (CaR, MP) ..... B. rosea subsp. rosea

18' Perianth tube >= (9)11 mm, lobes >= (14)19 mm; style >= (7)8 mm; staminodes recurving near tips as flowers age, < 1.5(3) mm longer than stamens; on old alluvial soils (n SNF, e GV) ..... B. rosea subsp. vallicola

17' Perianth lobes violet; staminodes oblong, margins incurved, often to tip (flat or incurved below tip in Brodiaea coronaria)

19. Scape 0.5–7 cm, generally < 

pedicels 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

; anther tips generally reflexed, with 

dentate 

Having margins with sharp, relatively coarse teeth pointing outward, not tipward.

lobe in notch ..... B. terrestris subsp. terrestris

19' Scape 2–30 cm, generally > pedicels; anther tips erect to reflexed, generally without dentate lobe in notch

20. Staminodes generally white, margins flat or incurved below tip, tips erect to reflexed, obtuse ..... B. coronaria

20' Staminodes violet (white), margins incurved, often to tip, tips erect, notched or with small 

tooth 

1. A small, pointed projection, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals (somewhat archaic usage); smaller than lobes.

..... B. terrestris subsp. kernensis

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