Dichelostemma congestum |
Dichelostemma volubile |
|
---|---|---|
fork-tooth ookow, northern saitas, ookow |
Snake-lily, twining brodiaea, twining snakelily |
|
Leaves | 3–4, 4–35 cm; blade strongly keeled, ± glaucous. |
3–4, 30–70 cm; blade strongly keeled. |
Scape | self-supporting, with occasional bends, 30–80(–90) cm, ± scabrous. |
weak, not self-supporting except distal 10 cm erect, otherwise twining, 40–150 cm, scabrous. |
Inflorescences | racemose, very dense, 6–15-flowered; bracts pale purple to green, widely lanceolate, 6–12 mm. |
umbellate, dense, 6–20-flowered; bracts pinkish, widely ovate, 12–15 mm, apex acute. |
Flowers | horizontal or erect; perianth bluish purple, tube unangled, narrowly ovoid, slightly constricted above ovary, 8–10 mm, lobes ascending, 8–10 mm; perianth appendages 1 per stamen, each coalescent to an inner and outer tepal, leaning away from inner anthers to form corona, erect, purplish, narrowly lanceolate, 5–6 mm, apex deeply 2-fid into 2 wings; stamens 3, equal; anthers 4–5 mm; ovary sessile, 4–6 mm; style 5–6 mm; pedicel 1–6 mm. |
horizontal or erect; perianth pink or rarely white, tube globose or urceolate, constricted above ovary, 5–7 mm, with 6 sac-like angles, lobes widely spreading, ascending in fruit, 5–7 mm; perianth appendages 2 per stamen, folded inward toward anthers, hiding them and forming corona, white, narrowly lanceolate, 3–4 mm, apex 2-fid into 2 wings; stamens 3, equal; anthers 3–4 mm; staminodia 3, opposite outer tepals, creamy whitish, linear-oblong, 2.5–3 mm, margins ciliate-dentate, involute, apex usually shallowly notched; ovary sessile or short-stipitate, subglobose, 4–5 mm; style 3–4 mm; pedicel 10–40 mm. |
2n | = 18, 36. |
= 18, 36. |
Dichelostemma congestum |
Dichelostemma volubile |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring (late Mar–May). | Flowering spring (Apr–early Jun). |
Habitat | Open woodlands, grasslands near coast | Foothill woodlands, chaparral, scrub |
Elevation | 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft) | 100–1600 m (300–5200 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR; WA
|
CA
|
Discussion | Dichelostemma congestum can be recognized by its congested racemose inflorescence and deeply bifid perianth appendages that stand away from the anthers to form a corona. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Dichelostemma volubile is distinguishable by its very long, weak, twining scape; small pink flowers; strongly urceolate perianth tube with well-developed saccate angles; and possession of both perianth appendages and true staminodia (sterile stamens) opposite the outer limb segments, as found in most species of Brodiaea. It is confined to a narrow belt in the foothill areas adjacent to the Central Valley, and is known to hybridize with D. multiflorum in Tuolumne County. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 330. | FNA vol. 26, p. 331. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Brodiaea congesta, Hookera congesta | Macroscapa volubilis, Brodiaea californica, Brodiaea volubilis, D. californicum, Hookera volubilis, Rupalleya volubilis, Stropholirion californicum |
Name authority | (Smith) Kunth: Enum. Pl. 4: 470. (1843) | (Kellogg) A. Heller: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 65. (1903) |
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