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miniature suncup, Spencer primrose

San Bernardino sun cup

Habit Herbs annual, densely villous, more densely so distally, also rarely glandular puberulent distally. Herbs annual, densely villous, often also strigillose, at least sparsely villous and glandular puberulent on stems distally and on inflorescences.
Stems

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

erect, with multiple branches, rarely with 1 stem, to 70 cm.

Leaves

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.

1–6 × 0.4–2 cm;

petiole 0–3 cm, distal ones sessile;

blade lanceolate or narrowly ovate, base round or truncate, margins sparsely denticulate, apex long-acuminate.

Flowers

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.

opening near sunrise;

floral tube (1.8–)2–3.8 mm;

sepals (1.5–)3.2–8.5 mm;

petals yellow, usually with 1 or 2 red dots basally, (2.5–)5–10.5 mm; episepalous filaments (1.2–)2.5–4.5 mm, epipetalous filaments (0.8–)1.5–2.5 mm, anthers (0.4–)0.8–1.5 mm, less than 5% of pollen grains 4- or 5-pored;

style (2.5–)4.5–7.5 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

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.

straight or 1–2-coiled spiral, subterete in living material, 4-angled when dry, 13–23 × 0.9–1.2 mm.

Seeds

0.7–1.1 mm.

0.7–1.1 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Camissoniopsis micrantha

Camissoniopsis confusa

Phenology Flowering (Jan–)Mar–Jun(–Sep). Flowering Mar–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Coastal strand, coastal sage scrub, chaparral. Dry inland slopes, chaparral.
Elevation 0–300(–800) m. (0–1000(–2600) ft.) 300–2000 m. (1000–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Camissoniopsis confusa occurs in California from the La Panza Range of central San Luis Obispo County south through the Coast Ranges to the San Bernardino Mountains and southern San Diego County; also in central Arizona (westernmost Gila, Maricopa, and northern Pinal counties). P. H. Raven (1969) determined C. confusa to be self-compatible and primarily autogamous. The species apparently is a tetraploid derived via hybridization between two diploid (2n = 14) species, C. hirtella and C. pallida.

(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. lewisii, C. luciae, C. pallida, C. robusta
C. bistorta, C. cheiranthifolia, C. guadalupensis, C. hardhamiae, C. hirtella, C. ignota, C. intermedia, C. lewisii, C. luciae, C. micrantha, C. pallida, C. robusta
Synonyms Oenothera micrantha, Camissonia micrantha, Holostigma micranthum, S. micranthum Camissonia confusa
Name authority (Hornemmann ex Sprengel) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 205. (2007) (P. H. Raven) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 204. (2007)
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