Key to Amsinckia

View taxon page for Amsinckia

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

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

1. Calyx 

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.

unequal in width, 2–4 from fusion below middle, notched at tip; corolla tube generally 20-veined near base; nutlet generally smooth, cobblestone-like, or round-tubercled (except Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis)

2. Stem glabrous to sparse-coarse-hairy, glaucous, ± white to pink below; 

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).

glaucous; nutlet smooth, adaxially with longitudinal slit-like groove, attachment 

scar 

Mark left by the natural separation of two structures, as a leaf scar on a stem.

hidden

3. Corolla 12–22 mm, limb 8–14 mm diam, generally orange; generally heterostylous; nutlet 3–4 mm, 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

, groove 

forked 

Pertaining to a hair or other structure that branches into two parts.

at base ..... A. furcata

3' Corolla 8–12 mm, limb 2–6(8) mm diam, yellow (to orange-yellow); homostylous; nutlet 4–6 mm, 

lanceolate 

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

, groove unforked at base ..... A. vernicosa

2' Stem hairy, not glaucous, ± green below; leaf not glaucous; nutlet smooth, cobblestone-like, or tubercled, adaxially without slit-like groove, attachment scar exposed

4. Nutlet 1.5–2 mm, ± black; leaf fine-toothed; stem generally 

decumbent 

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

; coastal dunes or occasionally sandy bluffs ..... A. spectabilis var. spectabilis (2)

4' Nutlet 2.5–5 mm, gray to brown; leaf 

entire 

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

; stem 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

to 

ascending 

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

; inland

5. Corolla 14–22 mm, limb 10–16 mm diam; heterostylous

6. Nutlet gray, dull, cobblestone-like; corolla yellow-orange; SCoR, w WTR ..... A. douglasiana

6' Nutlet ± brown, smooth, shiny; corolla red-orange; nw SnJV ..... A. grandiflora

5' Corolla 8–16 mm, limb 2–10 mm diam; homostylous ..... A. tessellata

7. Corolla 12–16 mm, limb 6–10 mm diam; anthers not 

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, generally below stigma ..... var. gloriosa

7' Corolla 8–12 mm, limb 2–6 mm diam; anthers appressed to stigma ..... var. tessellata

1' Calyx lobes ± equal in width, 5, not fused above base (except Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis); corolla tube 10-veined near base; nutlet generally sharp-tubercled, often ridged

8. Nutlet 1–2 mm; leaf ± succulent, fine-toothed ..... A. spectabilis

9. Stem erect; calyx lobes not fused above base; nutlet 1–1.5 mm; heterostylous ..... var. microcarpa

9' Stem generally decumbent; calyx lobes generally 2–3, ± 1/2-fused; nutlet 1.5–2 mm; heterostylous or homostylous ..... var. spectabilis (2)

8' Nutlet 2–4 mm; leaf not succulent, generally entire

10. Corolla 

bilateral 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in only one way.

, tube bent, limb generally with 2 dark spots ..... A. lunaris

10' Corolla 

radial 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in three or more ways.

, tube straight, limb with 0 or 5 dark spots

11. Corolla throat ± closed by 5 hairy appendages, tube constricted in lower 1/2; stamens attached below middle of corolla tube, style 

included 

Not protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens included in corolla).

..... A. lycopsoides

11' Corolla throat open, glabrous, appendages 0, tube not constricted; stamens generally attached above middle of corolla tube, if below then style 

exserted 

Protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens exserted from corolla).

12. Corolla 10–20 mm, limb 8–14 mm diam; style generally ± exserted; anthers not appressed to, generally below stigma (if stigma at bottom 1/3 of tube, then anthers above stigma, at throat) ..... A. eastwoodiae

12' Corolla 4–11 mm, limb 1–10 mm diam; style not exserted; anthers generally appressed to stigma

13. Stem erect, ± gray, appressed to 

reflexed 

Abruptly bent or curved downward or backward.

 hairs below present; leaf ± gray, hairs appressed to ascending; corolla ± yellow ..... A. retrorsa

13' Stem decumbent to erect, green to brown, appressed to reflexed hairs below ± 0; leaf green, hairs ± not appressed to ascending; corolla ± orange

14. Stem ascending to erect; corolla 7–11 mm, limb 4–10 mm diam, ± orange, tube exserted ..... A. intermedia

14' Stem decumbent to ± ascending; corolla 4–7 mm, limb 1–3 mm diam, yellow to orange-yellow, tube ± exserted ..... A. menziesii

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