Flora of North America species comparison

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Dudleya attenuata

Dudleya attenuata subsp. attenuata

Orcutt's dudleya, tapertip liveforever
Photo is of parent taxon

Orcutt's dudleya
Caudices

0.5–2 dm × 0.3–1[–1.5] cm, clumps 1–4 dm diam.
Leaves

without resinous odor;

rosette (lax), 5–20-leaved, 2–5(–10) cm diam.;

blade often purplish, linear to linear-oblanceolate and somewhat clavate, terete or flattened adaxially towards base, 2–10 × 0.2–0.5 cm, 2–5 mm thick, to 2 times wider than thick, base 5–15 mm wide, surfaces farinose, not viscid, not oily.
Inflorescences

cyme 1–3-branched, obpyramidal, (2–15(–20) × 1–10 dm);

branches simple;

cincinni 3–15-flowered, not circinate, 2–11 cm;

floral shoots 0.5–2.5 dm × 1–3 mm;

leaves 5–10, ascending, linear-lanceolate, (turgid), 5–3.5 × 0.2–0.5 cm.
Pedicels

0.5–3 mm.
Flowers

petals widespreading or somewhat ascending from near middle, connate 0.5–1 mm, white often flushed with rose, especially on keel, triangular-ovate, 6–10 × 1.5–3 mm, apex acute, corolla ca. 10 mm diam.;

pistils erect, 4–7 mm;

styles 1–2.5 mm.
California

Follicles

ascending, with adaxial margins ca. 45–60º above horizontal.
2n

= 34 [68, Mexico].

Dudleya attenuata

Dudleya attenuata subsp. attenuata
Phenology Flowering spring.
Habitat Bluffs, flats, and rocky slopes near sea
Elevation 0-10 m (0-0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

Subspecies australis Moran occurs in Baja California.

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

Of conservation concern.

Subspecies attenuata is abundant southward in Mexico but barely enters southwestern San Diego County on the coast, where it is now rare. It is considered seriously threatened in California. Dudleya attenuata subsp. orcuttii (Rose) Moran was thought to be distinct in having white or rose-tinged petals; subsequent field work showed that some populations include plants with yellow petals (R. V. Moran 2001). Stylophyllum parishii was supposedly from Pala, 90 kilometers to the north of the southwestern San Diego County population of subsp. attenuata, and was based on cultivated plants that apparently were mislabeled (Moran 1943).

In northwest Baja California subsp. attenuata hybridizes with Dudleya brittonii, D. edulis, D. formosa, and D. variegata; all the hybrids apparently are rare.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 176. FNA vol. 8, p. 176.
Parent taxa Crassulaceae > Dudleya > subg. Stylophyllum Crassulaceae > Dudleya > subg. Stylophyllum > Dudleya attenuata
Sibling taxa
D. abramsii, D. arizonica, D. blochmaniae, D. brevifolia, D. candelabrum, D. cespitosa, D. cymosa, D. densiflora, D. edulis, D. farinosa, D. gnoma, D. greenei, D. lanceolata, D. multicaulis, D. nesiotica, D. palmeri, D. parva, D. pulverulenta, D. saxosa, D. stolonifera, D. traskiae, D. variegata, D. verityi, D. virens, D. viscida
Subordinate taxa
D. attenuata subsp. attenuata
Synonyms Cotyledon attenuata, Stylophyllum attenuatum D. attenuata subsp. orcuttii, Stylophyllum orcuttii, Stylophyllum parishii
Name authority (S. Watson) Moran: Desert Pl. Life 14: 191. (1943) unknown
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).



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