Key to Lewisia

View taxon page for Lewisia

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

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

1. Cauline leaves 3–5, 

whorled 

Arranged in groups of three or more at nodes or positions along an axis (e.g., three leaves per node).

, less often 2, 

opposite 

1. Arranged in pairs along an axis - e.g., two leaves per node. 2. Occurring in the same rank, directly above or below, as 'stamens opposite petals'. 3. Located directly across from.

; taproot 0; tuberous root spheric, with many rootlets ..... L. triphylla

1' Cauline leaves 0–many, opposite or 

alternate 

1. Arranged singly, often spirally, along an axis - e.g., one leaf per node. 2. Occurring in different ranks, appearing to be between, not directly above or below, as 'stamens alternate petals'.

; taproot present; tuberous root 0

2. Basal leaves green after flower, not shriveled

3. Basal 

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).

 blades 

linear 

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

to narrowly oblanceolate; leaf margin 

entire 

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

4. Leaves flat or adaxialy grooved ..... L. ×whiteae

4' Leaves ± 

cylindric 

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

, adaxially not grooved ..... L. leeana

3' Basal leaf blades 

ovate 

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

, oblanceolate, ± spoon-shaped, or obovate to round (± linear); leaf margin entire or toothed

5. Petals 5–9 mm, white to pale pink with darker veins; inflorescence 

panicle 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the basal or lateral flowers (or some of them) open before the terminal or central flowers on any axis. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a panicle-like inflorescence is one in which at least some of the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are attached (stalked or unstalked) to branches and not directly to the main axis of the inflorescence and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

, open

6. Pedicel 0.3–4 mm; petals 6–9 mm ..... L. cantelovii

6' Pedicel 3–8 mm; petals 5–6 mm ..... L. serrata

5' Petals (8)10–20 mm, generally pink-purple with pale and darker stripes, less often white, cream with pink-orange stripes, yellow, or orange; inflorescence 

cyme 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the central or uppermost flower opens before the peripheral or lowermost flowers on any axis. see 2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, a cyme-like inflorescence is one in which the central or uppermost inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, develop and mature before the peripheral or lowermost inflorescence units on any axis.

, ± 

umbel 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae and some other groups, an inflorescence in which three to many pedicels and, if compound, branches (rays) radiate from a common point; characteristic of but not confined to Apiaceae. 2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, an umbel-like inflorescence is one in which three to many stalked inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, radiate from a common point of attachment without an evident axis or branches.

, or panicle, ± dense ..... L. cotyledon

7. Leaf margin ± entire; petals (8)12–14 ..... var. cotyledon

7' Leaf margin 

dentate 

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

or wavy; petals 12–20 mm

8. Leaf margin dentate; 225–2200 m ..... var. heckneri

8' Leaf margin ± wavy; 100–400 m ..... var. howellii

2' Basal leaves shriveled after flower, turning brown

9. Flowers 

sessile 

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

; 

bract 

Reduced, leaf- or scale-like structure subtending a branch, cone scale, peduncle, pedicel, or flower.

, sepal pairs resembling 4-parted calyx

10. Sepal margin entire, not glandular; petals 12–26 mm ..... L. brachycalyx

10' Sepal margin toothed, glandular or not; petals 10–30 mm ..... L. kelloggii

11. Leaf 

blade 

Expanded portion of a leaf, petal, or other structure, generally flat but sometimes rolled, cylindric, wavy, or cupped.

> 4.5 cm, > 1 cm wide; petals >= 20 mm ..... subsp. hutchisonii

11' Leaf blade < 4.5 cm, < 1 cm wide; petals <= 20 mm ..... subsp. kelloggii

9' Flowers pedicelled; bract, sepal pairs not resembling 4-parted calyx

12. Flowers breaking apart in fruit; sepals 2–9, scarious, margins entire to ± jagged, not toothed

13. Sepals 2; petals 5–9; proximal bracts 2–4 per 

node 

Position on a stem from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

..... L. disepala

13' Sepals (4)6–9; petals 10–19; proximal bracts 4–7(8) per node ..... L. rediviva

14. Sepals 10–12(15) mm; petals ± 15 mm; stamens 20–30 ..... var. minor

14' Sepals 15–25 mm; petals 18–35 mm; stamens 30–50 ..... var. rediviva

12' Flowers not breaking apart in fruit; sepals 2, not scarious, margins entire, toothed, or gland-toothed

15. Cauline leaves opposite, not markedly smaller than 

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.

..... L. oppositifolia

15' Cauline leaves 0 or alternate, markedly smaller than basal

16. Basal leaves oblanceolate, spoon-shaped, or obovate; inflorescence 3–100-flowered

17. Cymes panicle-like, 20–100-flowered; petals 6–7, pale pink, base yellow-green; stamens 4–5 ..... L. congdonii

17' Cymes ± umbel-like, 3–11-flowered; petals 7–10, magenta or red, bases white or ± pink; stamens 10–13 ..... L. stebbinsii

16' Basal leaves thread-like to linear to narrow-lanceolate or -oblanceolate; inflorescence < 16-flowered

18. Flowers 2.5–4 cm diam; petals >= 15 mm ..... L. longipetala

18' Flowers 0.5–2 cm diam; petals <= 20 mm

19. Petals 9–20 mm; sepal margins entire to ± jagged, not gland-toothed (obscurely or irregularly toothed), tips ± 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

..... L. nevadensis

19' Petals 4–10 mm; sepal margins ± jagged, toothed, or gland-toothed (entire), tips ± rounded or 

truncate 

Abruptly (not gradually) narrower or smaller at base or tip, as if cut straight across or nearly so.

20. Bract, sepal glands ± red or dark; stamens 6; stigmas 4 ..... L. glandulosa

20' Bract, sepal glands 0 or pale; stamens 4–8; stigmas 3–6 ..... L. pygmaea

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