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Sierra bleeding heart, Tulare County bleeding heart

Habit Plants perennial, scapose, variably glaucous, from elongate, stout rhizomes.
Leaves

(10-)15-25(-30) × (5-)8-12(-18) cm;

blade with 3-4 orders of leaflets and lobes;

penultimate lobes oblong, distal usually coarsely 3-toothed at apex, (3-)6-12(-20) × 1.5-4 mm.

Inflorescences

paniculate, 2-20-flowered, shorter than to exceeding leaves;

bracts linear-lanceolate, 4-7(-10) × 1-1.5 mm, apex acuminate.

Flowers

pendent;

sepals ovate to acuminate-lanceolate, (3-)6-7(-12) × 1-3 mm;

petals white to pale yellow or rose-tinted;

outer petals 12-18 × 2-4 mm, reflexed portion 3-5 mm;

inner petals 11-17 mm, blade 2.5-3.5 mm, claw linear-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 6-9 × 1-2 mm, crest 1-2 mm diam., exceeding apex by 1-2 mm;

filaments of each bundle connate from base to shortly below anthers except for a 2-6 mm portion of median filament just above base, distinct portion of median filament forming angular loop that projects into base of outer petal; nectariferous tissue borne along loop;

style 4-7 mm;

stigma rhomboid, 2-horned.

Capsules

oblong, (10-)13-16(-20) × 4-5 mm.

Seeds

reniform, ca. 2 mm diam., finely reticulate, elaiosome present.

2n

= 16.

Dicentra nevadensis

Phenology Flowering early–late summer.
Habitat High meadows, in gravelly soils
Elevation 2100-3300 m (6900-10800 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
Calif (Tulare County)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

In Dicentra nevadensis the median filament of each stamen bundle bends out in an angular loop between the base and midpoint; in D. formosa the median filaments lack such loops. Also, the flowers of D. nevadensis are smaller and narrower than those of D. formosa. Pressed flowers of D. nevadensis often turn black, suggesting possible chemical differences, other than in alkaloids, from D. formosa.

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

Source FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Fumariaceae > Dicentra
Sibling taxa
D. canadensis, D. chrysantha, D. cucullaria, D. eximia, D. formosa, D. ochroleuca, D. pauciflora, D. uniflora
Synonyms D. formosa subsp. nevadensis
Name authority Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 4, 20: 143. (1931)
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