FNA: Corispermum pacificum vs. Corispermum welshii

	Corispermum pacificum	Corispermum welshii
	common bugseed, Pacific bug-seed	Welsh's bugseed
Habit	Plants usually branched from base, (5–)15–40 cm, glabrous or sparsely covered with dendroid hairs (especially when young).
Leaf	blades narrowly lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, or linear, flat or nearly so, 2–5(–7) × 0.2–0.6 cm.	blades linear-lanceolate or linear, usually plane (or rarely slightly convolute or folded in dried plants), 1–6 × 0.2–0.5 cm.
Bracts	ovate-lanceolate, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, almost ovate, or lanceolate, (1–)1.5–2.5 × 0.3–0.7(–0.9) cm.	ovate or ovate-lanceolate (rarely narrowly ovate-lanceolate), 1–3 × 0.3–0.8 cm.
Inflorescences	usually compact, rather dense, or sometimes ± lax, condensed only near apex, ovoid, oblong-ovate, obovate, broadly linear, or occasionally clavate.	usually compact and dense, rarely ± lax, and condensed only at apex, ovoid, oblong-obovate, or oblong-clavate.
Perianth	segment 1, sometimes absent in distal flowers.	segment 1.
Fruits	usually black (rarely deep olive green, especially when immature), sharply contrasting with greenish semitransparent wings, without spots and warts, slightly convex abaxially, flat or slightly concave adaxially, orbiculate-obovate to almost orbiculate, broadest near middle (or occasionally slightly beyond), 3–4 × 2.7–3.8 mm, shiny; wing translucent, thin, (0.2–)0.3–0.6 mm wide, margins slightly undulate or indistinctly erose-denticulate, apex rounded or occasionally indistinctly notched.	yellowish brown, light brown, or brown, usually with reddish brown spots and whitish warts, strongly to slightly convex abaxially, usually concave adaxially, obovate or orbiculate-obovate, usually broadest slightly beyond middle (occasionally almost near middle), (3.3–)3.7–4.6 × (2.7–)3–3.6 mm, slightly shiny or dull; wing translucent, thin, (rarely translucent only at margin, thicker), (0.3–)0.4–0.6 mm wide, margins entire or irregularly minutely erose-denticulate, apex rounded, truncate, or indistinctly emarginate.
Plant		branched from base or nearly so, 10–35 cm, densely or sparsely covered with dendroid or stellate hairs (rarely with scattered papillae at margins of bracts).

	Corispermum pacificum	Corispermum welshii
Phenology	Flowering late summer–fall.	Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat	Sandy shores, dunes	Sand dunes, sandy shores of creeks and rivers, dry valleys
Elevation	0-500 m (0-1600 ft)	1300-2200 m (4300-7200 ft)
Distribution	ID; OR; WA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; NM; UT; WY [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Of conservation concern. Corispermum pacificum seems to be closely related to Siberian C. crassifolium Turczaninov and C. maynense Ignatov. The latter species occurs in the northeastern Russian Far East and may be expected to occur in Alaska. Corispermum pacificum differs from C. maynense by its usually more robust habit, and its wing rounded (rarely rounded-truncate or indistinctly emarginate, but not triangular) at apex. From C. crassifolium it may be distinguished by the constant presence of perianth segments, and more flattened black mature fruits. Corispermum pacificum probably also occurs in adjacent regions of British Columbia. Corispermum pacificum is placed in subsect. Crassifolia (S. L. Mosyakin 1997). This subsection seems to be of Siberian origin, with its central species, C. crassifolium, being closest to the hypothetic ancestral taxon. The presence of perianth segments in C. pacificum may be explained by ancient hybridization with representatives of subsect. Pallasiana. Reproductive isolation between the sympatric species of Corispermum may be achieved by different flowering periods. Occasional hybrids between C. pacificum and C. villosum are similar in their habit to C. pacificum in having usually broad leaves and rather dense inflorescences but they have mostly aborted fruits suggesting that C. pacificum and C. villosum are taxonomically distant species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	The names Corispermum hyssopifolium and C. villosum have been misapplied to C. welshii. Judging from its fruit morphology, C. welshii is closely related to C. americanum, especially to var. rydbergii. Forms intermediate between these taxa occasionally occur, especially in Utah. However, C. welshii differs from C. americanum in having shorter and thicker inflorescences and broader leaves and bracts. Forms similar to C. welshii occur also in other southwestern states, particularly in Colorado and western Texas. These plants are in need of additional study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 4, p. 319.	FNA vol. 4, p. 317.
Parent taxa	Chenopodiaceae > Corispermum	Chenopodiaceae > Corispermum
Sibling taxa	C. americanum, C. hookeri, C. hyssopifolium, C. navicula, C. nitidum, C. ochotense, C. pallasii, C. pallidum, C. villosum, C. welshii	C. americanum, C. hookeri, C. hyssopifolium, C. navicula, C. nitidum, C. ochotense, C. pacificum, C. pallasii, C. pallidum, C. villosum
Name authority	Mosyakin: Novon 5: 345, fig. 1A. (1995)	Mosyakin: Novon 5: 348, fig. 1E. (1995)
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Corispermum welshii

common bugseed, Pacific bug-seed

Welsh's bugseed

Habit

Plants usually branched from base, (5–)15–40 cm, glabrous or sparsely covered with dendroid hairs (especially when young).

Leaf

blades narrowly lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, or linear, flat or nearly so, 2–5(–7) × 0.2–0.6 cm.

blades linear-lanceolate or linear, usually plane (or rarely slightly convolute or folded in dried plants), 1–6 × 0.2–0.5 cm.

Bracts

ovate-lanceolate, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, almost ovate, or lanceolate, (1–)1.5–2.5 × 0.3–0.7(–0.9) cm.

ovate or ovate-lanceolate (rarely narrowly ovate-lanceolate), 1–3 × 0.3–0.8 cm.

Inflorescences

usually compact, rather dense, or sometimes ± lax, condensed only near apex, ovoid, oblong-ovate, obovate, broadly linear, or occasionally clavate.

usually compact and dense, rarely ± lax, and condensed only at apex, ovoid, oblong-obovate, or oblong-clavate.

Perianth

segment 1, sometimes absent in distal flowers.

segment 1.

Fruits

usually black (rarely deep olive green, especially when immature), sharply contrasting with greenish semitransparent wings, without spots and warts, slightly convex abaxially, flat or slightly concave adaxially, orbiculate-obovate to almost orbiculate, broadest near middle (or occasionally slightly beyond), 3–4 × 2.7–3.8 mm, shiny;

wing translucent, thin, (0.2–)0.3–0.6 mm wide, margins slightly undulate or indistinctly erose-denticulate, apex rounded or occasionally indistinctly notched.

yellowish brown, light brown, or brown, usually with reddish brown spots and whitish warts, strongly to slightly convex abaxially, usually concave adaxially, obovate or orbiculate-obovate, usually broadest slightly beyond middle (occasionally almost near middle), (3.3–)3.7–4.6 × (2.7–)3–3.6 mm, slightly shiny or dull;

wing translucent, thin, (rarely translucent only at margin, thicker), (0.3–)0.4–0.6 mm wide, margins entire or irregularly minutely erose-denticulate, apex rounded, truncate, or indistinctly emarginate.

Plant

branched from base or nearly so, 10–35 cm, densely or sparsely covered with dendroid or stellate hairs (rarely with scattered papillae at margins of bracts).

Corispermum pacificum

Corispermum welshii

Phenology

Flowering late summer–fall.

Habitat

Sandy shores, dunes

Sand dunes, sandy shores of creeks and rivers, dry valleys

Elevation

0-500 m (0-1600 ft)

1300-2200 m (4300-7200 ft)

Distribution

ID; OR; WA

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; NM; UT; WY

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Corispermum pacificum seems to be closely related to Siberian C. crassifolium Turczaninov and C. maynense Ignatov. The latter species occurs in the northeastern Russian Far East and may be expected to occur in Alaska. Corispermum pacificum differs from C. maynense by its usually more robust habit, and its wing rounded (rarely rounded-truncate or indistinctly emarginate, but not triangular) at apex. From C. crassifolium it may be distinguished by the constant presence of perianth segments, and more flattened black mature fruits. Corispermum pacificum probably also occurs in adjacent regions of British Columbia. Corispermum pacificum is placed in subsect. Crassifolia (S. L. Mosyakin 1997). This subsection seems to be of Siberian origin, with its central species, C. crassifolium, being closest to the hypothetic ancestral taxon. The presence of perianth segments in C. pacificum may be explained by ancient hybridization with representatives of subsect. Pallasiana.

Reproductive isolation between the sympatric species of Corispermum may be achieved by different flowering periods. Occasional hybrids between C. pacificum and C. villosum are similar in their habit to C. pacificum in having usually broad leaves and rather dense inflorescences but they have mostly aborted fruits suggesting that C. pacificum and C. villosum are taxonomically distant species.

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

The names Corispermum hyssopifolium and C. villosum have been misapplied to C. welshii. Judging from its fruit morphology, C. welshii is closely related to C. americanum, especially to var. rydbergii. Forms intermediate between these taxa occasionally occur, especially in Utah. However, C. welshii differs from C. americanum in having shorter and thicker inflorescences and broader leaves and bracts. Forms similar to C. welshii occur also in other southwestern states, particularly in Colorado and western Texas. These plants are in need of additional study.

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

Source

FNA vol. 4, p. 319.

FNA vol. 4, p. 317.

Parent taxa

Chenopodiaceae > Corispermum

Sibling taxa

C. americanum, C. hookeri, C. hyssopifolium, C. navicula, C. nitidum, C. ochotense, C. pallasii, C. pallidum, C. villosum, C. welshii

C. americanum, C. hookeri, C. hyssopifolium, C. navicula, C. nitidum, C. ochotense, C. pacificum, C. pallasii, C. pallidum, C. villosum

Name authority

Mosyakin: Novon 5: 345, fig. 1A. (1995)

Mosyakin: Novon 5: 348, fig. 1E. (1995)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora, UW Burke Herbarium

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Corispermum pacificum

Corispermum welshii

Corispermum pacificum

Corispermum welshii