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miniature suncup, Spencer primrose

pale yellow sun cup

Habit Herbs annual, densely villous, more densely so distally, also rarely glandular puberulent distally. Herbs annual, appearing conspicuously grayish, densely strigillose, sometimes also glandular puberulent distally.
Stems

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

usually with decumbent lateral branches from basal rosette, 5–60 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.

1–5(–11) × 0.2–0.7(–1.4) cm;

petiole 0–0.2(–0.4) cm, distal ones sessile;

blade lanceolate to narrowly ovate, base often cuneate to truncate, sometimes attenuate, margins sparsely denticulate, apex acute to obtuse.

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 1–4.2 mm;

sepals (1.5–)2.5–8 mm;

petals yellow, sometimes with 1–3 red dots basally, (2–)3.5–13 mm; episepalous filaments (0.5–)1.5–6.5 mm, epipetalous filaments (0.2–)0.5–3.8 mm, anthers (0.4–)0.8–2.2 mm, less than 5% of pollen grains 4- or 5-pored;

style (2.1–)3–10.5 mm, stigma surrounded by at least anthers of longer stamens, often by both sets, 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.

usually 1–3-coiled spiral, subterete in living material, 4-angled when dry, 13–24 × 0.7–1.2 mm.

Seeds

0.7–1.1 mm.

1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 14.

Camissoniopsis micrantha

Camissoniopsis pallida

Phenology Flowering (Jan–)Mar–Jun(–Sep).
Habitat Coastal strand, coastal sage scrub, chaparral.
Elevation 0–300(–800) m. (0–1000(–2600) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
w United States; nw Mexico
[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.)

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

P. H. Raven (1969) determined Camissoniopsis pallida to be self-compatible and primarily autogamous.

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

Key
1. Floral tube 1–3 mm; petals (2–)3.5–6(–8) mm; styles (2.1–)3–6.5 mm.
subsp. pallida
1. Floral tube 3.8–4.2 mm; petals 6.5–13 mm; styles 6.5–10.5 mm.
subsp. hallii
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. confusa, C. guadalupensis, C. hardhamiae, C. hirtella, C. ignota, C. intermedia, C. lewisii, C. luciae, C. micrantha, C. robusta
Subordinate taxa
C. pallida subsp. hallii, C. pallida subsp. pallida
Synonyms Oenothera micrantha, Camissonia micrantha, Holostigma micranthum, S. micranthum Sphaerostigma pallidum, Camissonia pallida, Oenothera abramsii, O. micrantha var. abramsii
Name authority (Hornemmann ex Sprengel) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 205. (2007) (Abrams) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 205. (2007)
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