Key to Lessingia

View taxon page for Lessingia

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

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

1. Corolla yellow (externally occasionally pink or ± purple in peripheral flowers of Lessingia tenuis).

2. Style-branch appendage 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

, 0.3–1.3 mm; corolla tube not purple-brown banded inside ..... L. glandulifera

3. Phyllaries persistently 

tomentose 

Covered with densely interwoven, generally matted hairs.

..... var. peirsonii

3' Phyllaries sparsely hairy or glandless hairs 0

4. Stem and leaves glabrous or slightly hairy to tomentose ..... var. glandulifera

4' Stem and leaves densely, persistently tomentose – e PR (San Diego Co.) ..... var. tomentosa

2' Style-branch appendage short-triangular, 0.1–0.4 mm; corolla tube purple-brown banded inside

5. Plant glandless or phyllaries rarely with sparse bead-like, 

sessile 

Without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.

 glands ..... L. germanorum

5' Plant ± glandular

6. Flowers 3–25; cauline leaves generally glandless, occasionally with bead-like sessile glands; phyllary tips ± purple; corolla of peripheral flowers yellow or occasionally pink or ± purple externally ..... L. tenuis

6' Flowers 15–30; cauline leaves with stalked and bead-like sessile glands; phyllary tips generally green (occasionally purple); corolla of peripheral flowers yellow ..... L. pectinata

7. Stem ± red to dark brown; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 margin 

dentate 

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

to pinnately lobed, segments with short stiff points ..... var. pectinata

7' Stem green or tan; leaves 

entire 

Having margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).

or dentate to pinnately lobed, segments without short stiff points ..... var. tenuipes

1' Corolla white, pink, or lavender

8. Phyllaries generally glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy, occasionally with stalked and/or bead-like sessile glands

9. Basal leaves generally persistent at flower; cauline leaves with stalked glands; 

involucre 

Group of bracts more or less held together as a unit, subtending a flower, fruit (acorn cup), or inflorescence.

 hemispheric to bell-shaped; corolla lavender (never white) ..... L. ramulosa

9' Basal leaves generally withering before flower; cauline leaves occasionally with stalked glands; involucre 

cylindric 

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

to broadly obconic; corolla white (occasionally pale lavender)

10. Cauline leaves with sunken glands and occasionally with bead-like sessile and/or stalked glands; style-branch appendage generally lanceolate, occasionally short-triangular ..... L. nemaclada

10' Cauline leaves generally glandless, occasionally with sparse stalked glands; style-branch appendage short-triangular ..... L. micradenia

11. Phyllary glands 0 or bead-like, sessile ..... var. glabrata

11' Phyllaries with stalked glands ..... var. micradenia

8' Phyllaries sparsely hairy, tomentose, or woolly, occasionally with bead-like sessile glands

12. Stem 

decumbent 

lying mostly flat on the ground but with tips curving up.

; outer phyllary tip green; inner phyllaries stiff, white; pappus pink to red ..... L. nana

12' Stem decumbent to 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

; outer phyllary tip green or purple; inner phyllaries scarious; pappus white to tan

13. Cauline leaves glandless

14. Basal leaves withered at flower; involucre 4–8 mm; style-branch appendage short-triangular; pappus generally < fruit (except in Sonoma Co.) ..... L. arachnoidea

14' Basal leaves generally persistent at flower; involucre (5)8–13 mm; style-branch appendage lanceolate; pappus >= fruit ..... L. hololeuca

13' Cauline leaves with sunken glands (rarely also with stalked or bead-like sessile glands in Lessingia virgata), glands occasionally obscured by hairs

15. Cauline leaves glabrous or sparsely hairy to tomentose; inflorescence open, cyme- or panicle-like, heads generally at ends of branchlets; flowers 6–25; corolla lavender (never white) ..... L. leptoclada

15' Cauline leaves generally tomentose (sparsely hairy); inflorescence spike-like, heads generally in leaf axils; flowers 3–6; corolla generally white, occasionally pale lavender ..... L. virgata

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