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Munz's evening primrose

golden suncup, Mojave suncup, yellow cups

Habit Herbs annual, strigillose, often densely so. Herbs annual, moderately to densely villous, sometimes strigillose.
Stems

several, 8–50 cm.

branched, 3–75 cm.

Leaves

primarily in basal rosette and also cauline, 1.5–20 × 0.5–3 cm;

petiole 0.5–5 cm;

blade pinnately lobed, terminal lobe ovate to narrowly ovate, 1.3–6 × 0.6–3 cm, margins denticulate, brownish oil cells lining veins abaxially.

primarily in basal rosette, cauline greatly reduced when present, 6–14 × 1.5–3.5 cm;

petiole 1.5–4(–11) cm;

blade pinnately lobed or lateral lobes greatly reduced or absent, often mixed on same plant, terminal lobe usually ovate, rarely elliptic, 2.5–6.9 × 1.5–7 cm, margins irregularly dentate, oil cells on abaxial surface inconspicuous.

Racemes

nodding, not congested, elongating in mature bud.

nodding, mostly elongating after flowers.

Flowers

opening at sunrise;

buds with or without subapical free tips;

floral tube orange-brown inside, 2–3 mm, villous inside;

sepals 4–7 mm;

petals bright yellow, with red dots near base, fading pale yellow or yellowish orange, 3–10 mm;

stamens subequal, filaments 4–8 mm, anthers 3–6 mm, ciliate;

style 8–18 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

opening at sunrise;

buds sometimes individually reflexed, without free tips or with subapical free tips 1–2 mm, or with minute, apical free tips less than 1 mm;

floral tube 3–8 mm, densely short-villous inside proximally;

sepals 5–9 mm;

petals bright yellow, sometimes with red dots at base, fading yellow to orange or reddish, 3–18 mm;

stamens subequal, filaments 3–6 mm, anthers 2.5–6 mm, ciliate;

style 10–18 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

widely spreading, becoming sharply reflexed, clavate, 8–24 mm;

pedicel 8–28 mm.

ascending or spreading, oblong-cylindrical, 18–92 mm;

pedicel 2–20 mm.

Seeds

0.8–1.6 mm.

1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 14.

Chylismia munzii

Chylismia brevipes

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Mesic slopes, washes.
Elevation 600–1600 m. (2000–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[BONAP county map]
sw United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Chylismia munzii is known from middle elevations in the mountains at the north end, eastward from, and south of Death Valley, from Saline Valley and the Grapevine Mountains, Inyo County, California, and Yucca Flat, Nye County, Nevada, southward to the Kingston Range, San Bernardino County, California.P. H. Raven (1962, 1969) determined this species to be self-incompatible. It sometimes hybridizes with C. brevipes subsp. brevipes and C. claviformis subsp. aurantiaca.

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

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

P. H. Raven (1962, 1969) determined this species to be self-incompatible.

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

Key
1. Flower buds individually reflexed; petals often fading reddish, 3–8 mm.
subsp. arizonica
1. Flower buds not individually reflexed; petals fading yellow to orange, 6–18 mm.
→ 2
2. Plants stout, villous; buds with subapical free tips 1–2 mm; petals usually without red dots at base.
subsp. brevipes
2. Plants slender, usually strigillose, sometimes also villous proximally; buds with apical free tips 0–1 mm; petals often with red dots near base.
subsp. pallidula
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. atwoodii, C. brevipes, C. cardiophylla, C. claviformis, C. confertiflora, C. eastwoodiae, C. exilis, C. heterochroma, C. megalantha, C. multijuga, C. parryi, C. scapoidea, C. specicola, C. walkeri
C. arenaria, C. atwoodii, 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
Subordinate taxa
C. brevipes subsp. arizonica, C. brevipes subsp. brevipes, C. brevipes subsp. pallidula
Synonyms Oenothera munzii, Camissonia munzii Oenothera brevipes, Camissonia brevipes
Name authority (P. H. Raven) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 207. (2007) (A. Gray) Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 194. (1896) — (as Chylisma)
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