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Lewis' evening-primrose

miniature suncup, Spencer primrose

Habit Herbs annual, villous, also glandular puberulent distally. Herbs annual, densely villous, more densely so distally, also rarely glandular puberulent distally.
Stems

usually several, decumbent, rarely 1 erect stem, 30–60 cm.

arising from base, usually decumbent, rarely with 1 erect, 15–60 cm.

Leaves

1–8 × 0.2–1.1 cm;

petiole 0–3 cm;

blade narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, base cuneate or subcordate, margins denticulate, apex acute.

1–12 × 0.2–1.7 cm;

petiole 0–2 cm, distal ones 0–0.5 cm;

blade (basal) narrowly elliptic, (cauline) narrowly elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate, base (basal) narrowly cuneate, (cauline) rounded, margins denticulate, apex acute.

Flowers

opening near sunrise;

floral tube 1.5–4 m;

sepals 1.7–3.4 mm;

petals yellow, with 1 or 2 red dots basally, 2.5–5.5 mm; episepalous filaments 2–2.8 mm, epipetalous filaments 1–1.7 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm, less than 5% of pollen grains 4- or 5-pored;

style 2.8–4.5 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

opening near sunrise;

floral tube 1.2–2 mm;

sepals 1–2.2(–2.5) mm;

petals yellow, sometimes with 1 or 2 red dots near base, 1.5–3.5(–4.5) mm; episepalous filaments 0.8–1.5 mm, epipetalous filaments 0.5–0.8(–1) mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm, less than 5% of pollen grains 4- or 5-pored;

style 2–3.5 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

usually loosely 1-coiled, conspicuously 4-angled in living material, 13–20 × 1.8–2.2 mm.

straight or curved, equal to or slightly more than 1 complete spiral, subterete in living material, 4-angled when dry, 13–20(–25) × 1.1–1.2(–1.8) mm.

Seeds

0.7–0.8 mm.

0.7–1.1 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Camissoniopsis lewisii

Camissoniopsis micrantha

Phenology Flowering Mar–May(–Sep). Flowering (Jan–)Mar–Jun(–Sep).
Habitat Open sandy and clayey grasslands, coastal dunes and beaches. Coastal strand, coastal sage scrub, chaparral.
Elevation 0–300 m. [0–1000 ft.] 0–300(–800) m. [0–1000(–2600) ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Camissoniopsis lewisii occurs from Point Dume and the Los Angeles Basin, Los Angeles County, south to Cardon Grande at the northern edge of Baja California Sur. P. H. Raven (1969) determined C. lewisii to be self-compatible and primarily autogamous, and suggested that this coastal Camissoniopsis may have been derived more or less directly from coastal populations of C. bistorta.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Camissoniopsis micrantha occurs from the vicinity of Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, near Lower Lake, Lake County, and near Rio Vista, Sacramento County, south in the Coast Ranges to the Los Angeles Basin and the northern edge of San Diego County; also on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina islands. The species was introduced, apparently on ballast heaps, at Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Macoun s.n. in 1893, NMC). It has apparently not persisted in this area. P. H. Raven (1969) determined C. micrantha to be self-compatible and primarily autogamous. Excluded populations are now recognized as C. hirtella, C. ignota, C. lewisii, and C. pallida.

Oenothera hirta Link (1821), not Linnaeus (1759), is an illegitimate name that pertains to Camissoniopsis micrantha.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Camissoniopsis Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Camissoniopsis
Sibling taxa
C. bistorta, C. cheiranthifolia, C. confusa, C. guadalupensis, C. hardhamiae, C. hirtella, C. ignota, C. intermedia, C. luciae, C. micrantha, C. pallida, C. robusta
C. bistorta, C. cheiranthifolia, C. confusa, C. guadalupensis, C. hardhamiae, C. hirtella, C. ignota, C. intermedia, C. lewisii, C. luciae, C. pallida, C. robusta
Synonyms Camissonia lewisii Oenothera micrantha, Camissonia micrantha, Holostigma micranthum, S. micranthum
Name authority (P. H. Raven) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 205. (2007) (Hornemmann ex Sprengel) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 205. (2007)
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