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Vascular Plants of California
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Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia

MOJAVE-ASTER


Higher Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)View DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: SUNFLOWER FAMILY
Habit: Annual to tree. Leaf: basal and/or cauline, alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, simple to 2+ × compound. Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, resembling a flower, of several types (see below), 1--many in generally +- cyme-like cluster; each head generally with +- calyx-like involucre of 1--many series of phyllaries (involucre bracts); receptacle of head flat to conic or columnar, paleate (bearing paleae = receptacle bracts) or epaleate; flowers 1--many per head. Flower: bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, +- small, of several types (see below); calyx 0 or modified into +- persistent pappus of bristles, scales, and/or awns; corolla radial or bilateral (0), lobes generally (0)3--5; stamens 4--5, filaments generally free, generally fused to corolla at tube/throat junction, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, anther base generally rounded or cordate (deeply sagittate or with tail-like appendages), tip (= flattened appendage) generally projecting beyond pollen sac; pistil 1, 2-carpeled, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, placenta basal, style 1, tip generally +- 2-branched (except in some staminate disk flowers), branch tips truncate or generally bearing +- brush-like appendages; stigmas 2, generally on adaxial faces of style branches. Fruit: achene (also called a cypsela) (drupe in Chrysanthemoides), cylindric to ovoid, sometimes compressed, generally deciduous with pappus attached.
Genera In Family: +- 1500 genera, 23000 species: worldwide, many habitats. Note: Flower and head types differ in form and sexual condition. A disk flower has a generally radial corolla, with a cylindric tube, expanded throat, and generally 5 lobes. Disk flowers are generally bisexual and fertile but occasionally staminate with reduced ovaries. Discoid heads comprise only disk flowers. A radiant head is a variant of a discoid head, with peripheral disk flower corollas expanded, often bilateral. A ray flower corolla is bilateral, generally with a slender tube and flattened petal-like ray (single lip composed of generally 3 lobes). Ray flowers are generally pistillate or sterile (occasionally lacking styles). Radiate heads have peripheral ray flowers and central disk flowers. Disciform heads superficially resemble discoid heads, with pistillate or sterile flowers that lack rays, together with or separate from disk flowers. A ligulate flower is bisexual, with a bilateral, generally ephemeral corolla and 5-lobed ligule. Liguliflorous heads comprise only ligulate flowers. See glossary p. 31 for illustrations of family characteristics. Echinops sphaerocephalus L., Gaillardia aristata Pursh, Gaillardia pulchella Foug., Hymenothrix loomisii S.F. Blake, Tagetes erecta L., Thelesperma megapotamicum (Spreng.) Kuntze are waifs. Melampodium perfoliatum Kunth, historic urban waif. Ageratum conyzoides L., Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass., Santolina chamaecyparisus L., orth. var. are rare or uncommon escapes from cultivation. Dyssodia papposa, Ismelia carinata (Schousb.) Sch. Bip. [Chrysanthemum carinatum Schousb.], Mantisalca salmantica (L.) Briq. & Cavill. are historical or extirpated waifs in California. Inula helenium L. not documented in California. Taxa of Aster in TJM (1993) treated here in Almutaster, Doellingeria, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oreostemma, Sericocarpus, Symphyotrichum; Chamomilla in Matricaria; Bahia in Hymenothrix; Cnicus in Centaurea; Conyza in Erigeron and Laennecia; Dugaldia in Hymenoxys; Erechtites in Senecio; Hymenoclea in Ambrosia; Lembertia in Monolopia; Osteospermum ecklonis in Dimorphotheca; Picris echioides in Helminthotheca; Prionopsis in Grindelia; Raillardiopsis in Anisocarpus and Carlquistia; Schkuhria multiflora in Picradeniopsis; Trimorpha in Erigeron; Venidium in Arctotis; Viguiera in Aldama and Bahiopsis; Whitneya in Arnica. Amauriopsis in TJM2 (2012) treated here in Hymenothrix; Arida in Leucosyris; Bahia in Picradeniopsis; Eucephalus in Doellingeria.
Unabridged Note: Largest family of vascular plants in California and of eudicots globally.
eFlora Treatment Author: David J. Keil, except as noted
Scientific Editor: David J. Keil, Bruce G. Baldwin.
Genus: XylorhizaView DescriptionDichotomous Key


Common Name: DESERT-ASTER
Habit: Perennial herb to shrub. Stem: generally +- white, glabrous or hairy. Leaf: all cauline, alternate, entire or toothed; midrib white. Inflorescence: heads radiate, 1, sessile or peduncled; involucre bell-shaped or hemispheric; phyllaries graduated in 3--6 series; receptacle convex, epaleate. Ray Flower: generally 12--60; corolla white to blue or purple. Disk Flower: 30--140; corolla yellow; style tips linear, acute. Fruit: linear to club-shaped, weakly compressed, 4-ribbed, with long, +- appressed hairs; pappus of 30--45, unequal, barbed bristles.
Etymology: (Greek: woody root)
eFlora Treatment Author: David J. Keil
Reference: [Nesom 2006 FNANM 20:406--409]
Unabridged Reference: [Watson 1977 Brittonia 29:199--216]
Xylorhiza tortifolia (Torr. & A. Gray) Greene var. tortifolia
NATIVE
Habit: Perennial herb, subshrub, 2--6(8) dm from much-branched caudex. Stem: generally branched proximally, with long, nonglandular hairs and shorter, stalked glands. Leaf: 2.5--10 cm, reduced distally on stem, linear to lanceolate, oblanceolate or elliptic, acute to spine-tipped, +- spiny-dentate, generally soft-hairy and glandular. Inflorescence: peduncle 8--25 cm; phyllaries 5--25 mm, 0.7--2.5 mm wide, soft-hairy, glandular, innermost < to > immediately preceding series. Ray Flower: 25--60; tube 4--6 mm; ray 1--3.3 cm, lavender, light blue, or white. Disk Flower: 70--110; corolla 5.5--8.5 mm. Fruit: 3--6 mm; pappus bristles <= 9 mm. Chromosomes: 2n=12,24.
Ecology: Desert slopes, canyons, woodland, creosote-bush and saltbush scrub; Elevation: 240--2000 m. Bioregional Distribution: s SNE, D; Distribution Outside California: to southwestern Utah, western Arizona. Flowering Time: Mar--Jun, Oct
Unabridged Note: A 2nd variety in Arizona, Nevada, Utah.
Jepson eFlora Author: David J. Keil
Reference: [Nesom 2006 FNANM 20:406--409]
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

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Botanical illustration including Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifoliabotanical illustration including Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia


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Citation for this treatment: David J. Keil 2012, Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=8604, accessed on October 06, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on October 06, 2024.

Xylorhiza tortifolia  
var. tortifolia
click for image enlargement
©2009 Thomas Stoughton
Xylorhiza tortifolia  
var. tortifolia
click for image enlargement
©2010 Neal Kramer
Xylorhiza tortifolia  
var. tortifolia
click for image enlargement
©1998 Larry Blakely
Xylorhiza tortifolia  
var. tortifolia
click for image enlargement
©2012 Keir Morse
Xylorhiza tortifolia  
var. tortifolia
click for image enlargement
©2013 Aaron Schusteff

More photos of Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia
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Geographic subdivisions for Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia:
s SNE, D
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map of distribution 1

(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurrence).






 

Data provided by the participants of the  Consortium of California Herbaria.

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CCH collections by month Flowering-Fruiting Monthly Counts

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
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Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).