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Habit Herbs annual, glandular puberulent. Herbs annual, glandular puberulent and sparsely villous.
Stems

several, 5–150 cm.

slender, unbranched or branched, 10–20 cm.

Leaves

in poorly defined basal rosette and cauline;

petiole 0.7–3.4 cm;

blade unlobed, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate, elliptic, or subcordate, 1.2–7.6 × 0.8–5.5 cm, margins serrulate to serrate-denticulate, brown oil cells prominently lining veins abaxially.

primarily cauline;

petiole 0.3–1.8 cm;

blade unlobed, narrowly ovate to elliptic, 0.3–2 × 0.3–1 cm, margins entire or inconspicuously denticulate, brownish oil cells lining veins abaxially.

Racemes

erect, elongating in flower.

erect, elongating in fruit.

Flowers

opening at sunrise;

buds without free tips;

floral tube 0.6–1 mm;

sepals 5–7 mm;

petals purple, fading darker purple, 7–14 mm;

stamens 4 + 4, unequal, anthers 1.5–2 mm, glabrous, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

opening at sunrise;

buds without free tips;

floral tube 0.4–0.5 mm, glabrous inside;

sepals 1–1.2 mm;

petals yellow, fading pale lavender, 1–1.5 mm;

stamens 4 (or 8), antisepalous, filaments 0.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous, when 8, then antipetalous ones smaller and abortive;

style 1.5 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

spreading to reflexed, clavate, 11–25 mm;

pedicel 3–5 mm.

spreading or reflexed, clavate, 4–10 mm;

pedicel 3–9 mm.

Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

0.8 mm.

2n

= 14.

Chylismia atwoodii

Chylismia exilis

Phenology Flowering Aug–Nov. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Open slopes in desert shrub communities, on clay soil. Calcareous sand, gypseous clay flats, juniper woodlands.
Elevation 1100–1600 m. (3600–5200 ft.) 1000–1900 m. (3300–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Chylismia atwoodii is known only from eastern Kane County, and only from a few collections, so is still poorly characterized morphologically, but clearly distinct among the purple-petaled species.

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

Chylismia exilis, known from Kane and San Juan counties in Utah and northern Coconino and Mohave counties in Arizona, is cryptic due to its small size. It may not be as rare as assumed, since it is difficult to spot in the field. P. H. Raven (1962, 1969) determined this species to be self-compatible and autogamous.

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

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Chylismia > sect. Chylismia Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Chylismia > sect. Chylismia
Sibling taxa
C. arenaria, C. brevipes, C. cardiophylla, C. claviformis, C. confertiflora, C. eastwoodiae, C. exilis, C. heterochroma, C. megalantha, C. multijuga, C. munzii, C. parryi, C. scapoidea, C. specicola, C. walkeri
C. arenaria, C. atwoodii, C. brevipes, C. cardiophylla, C. claviformis, C. confertiflora, C. eastwoodiae, C. heterochroma, C. megalantha, C. multijuga, C. munzii, C. parryi, C. scapoidea, C. specicola, C. walkeri
Synonyms Camissonia atwoodii Oenothera exilis, Camissonia exilis
Name authority (Cronquist) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 205. (2007) (P. H. Raven) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 207. (2007)
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