Flora of North America species comparison

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Epilobium siskiyouense

Epilobium foliosum
Epilobium siskiyouense

Siskiyou fireweed, Siskiyou rock-fringe, Siskiyou willow-herb

California willowherb, foliose willowherb, leafy willowherb, Suksdorf's willowherb
Habit Herbs ± suffruticose, shoots from woody caudex with barklike periderm extending to 40 cm below ground, shoots with scaly bases. Herbs slender.
Stems

several to many, erect to ascending, loosely clumped, terete, 10–25 cm, rarely branched distal to base, usually short-villous and strigillose throughout, mixed sparsely glandular puberulent distally, rarely subglabrous proximal to inflorescence.

strict, terete, 5–45 cm, simple to freely branched, subglabrous to strigillose proximally, strigillose and often villous and/or glandular puberulent distally.
Leaves

opposite proximal to inflorescence, alternate and usually crowded distally, sessile;

blade gray-green, narrowly to broadly ovate, 1.3–2.6 × 0.8–2 cm, base rounded to subcordate, margins usually serrulate, 6–12 teeth per side, rarely subentire, veins inconspicuous, 3–5 per side, apex rounded proximally to acute distally, surfaces sparsely short-villous to subglabrous and glaucous;

bracts much reduced.

mostly alternate, often fasciculate distally, petiole 1–12 mm, blade spatulate proximally to narrowly lanceolate or linear distally, usually folded along midrib, 0.5–3 × 0.1–0.7 cm, base long-attenuate, margins subentire or scarcely serrulate, 2–4 remote teeth per side, lateral veins inconspicuous, apex blunt proximally to acute distally, surfaces subglabrous or with scattered short hairs on margins;

bracts much reduced, sometimes attached to pedicel.
Inflorescences

erect, compact racemes, densely canescent and glandular puberulent, or subglabrous, only ovaries pubescent.

suberect panicles or racemes, congested distally, with few thin branches, densely strigillose, often sparsely mixed villous and glandular puberulent.
Flowers

erect;

buds often purplish green, 9–11 × 3.5–5 mm, blunt;

pedicel 6–12 mm;

floral tube 2.1–4 × 2.9–5 mm, prominent ring of tissue 0.3–0.6 mm wide, edged by spreading hairs, 0.9–1.8 mm from base of tube inside;

sepals purplish green, 5–10.5 × 2–3.5 mm, apex acute;

petals pink to rose-purple, obcordate, 10–22.5 × 9.5–15.5 mm, apical notch 2–6.5 mm;

filaments cream, those of longer stamens 6.5–14 mm, those of shorter ones 3.5–11 mm;

anthers cream 1.9–3.3 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

ovary 12–22 mm, ± densely canescent and glandular puberulent;

style white to light pink, 10.5–18 mm, sparsely villous just proximal to stigma, stigma broadly 4-lobed, 1–1.8 × 2.4–4.2 mm, exserted beyond anthers.

erect, often cleistogamous;

buds 1.1–1.9 × 0.8–1.1 mm,often apiculate;

floral tube 0.4–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm, with ring of short hairs at mouth inside;

sepals often reddish green, 1.3–2.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm, apex subacute;

petals white,1.4–2.5(–3) × 1–1.8 mm, apical notch 0.5–0.7 mm;

filaments white, those of longer stamens 0.9–1.3 mm, those of shorter ones 0.5–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apiculate;

ovary 4–6 mm, strigillose;

style white or cream, 1.2–1.7 mm, stigma subcapitate to obscurely 4-lobed, 0.3–0.4 × 0.4–0.6 mm, surrounded by longer anthers.
Capsules

25–45 mm, surfaces canescent and glandular puberulent;

pedicel 6–25 mm.

12–20 mm, surfaces sparsely hairy;

pedicel 2–5 mm.
Seeds

narrowly obovoid, 1.4–1.9 × 0.6–0.7 mm, with low, obscure chalazal collar, light brown, surface papillose;

coma easily detached, somewhat tawny, 4–8 mm.

obovoid, with slight constriction 0.2–0.3 mm from micropylar end, 0.6–0.9 × 0.3–0.5 mm, short chalazal collar 0.2–0.3 mm wide, grayish brown, surface low-papillose in ± irregular rows;

coma easily detached, dingy white, 2–2.5 mm.
2n

= 36.

= 32.

Epilobium siskiyouense

Epilobium foliosum
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Apr–Aug.
Habitat Stream banks, moist, rocky slopes, montane ridges, sometimes on serpentine areas. Dry, rocky slopes, roadsides, disturbed dry areas in mountains.
Elevation 1600–2500 m. [5200–8200 ft.] 50–2300 m. [160–7500 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Epilobium siskiyouense is endemic to the Klamath region in southwestern Oregon (Jackson County) and north-central California in the Salmon, Scott Bar, and Siskiyou mountains of Siskiyou and Trinity counties. As noted by Hoch and Raven, this geographical range and several morphological features appear to be intermediate between those of E. obcordatum and E. rigidum. All three species have unusually large flowers (12–26 mm) with four-lobed stigmas, and as a group are quite distinct from their congeners in the region. Despite these similarities, the three taxa differ substantially in details of floral structure, especially regarding the dimensions of the floral tube. Specifically, E. rigidum has mean petal length 18.2 mm, floral tubes 1–1.6 × 2.5–3.6 mm; E. siskiyouense mean petal length 17.1 mm, floral tubes 2.1–4 × 2.9–5 mm; and E. obcordatum mean petal length 18.6 mm, floral tubes 3.2–5.2 × 2.2–3.6 mm. Thus, in flowers that are similar in overall size and aspect, E. rigidum has a very short, broad floral tube, E. obcordatum has a relatively long, narrow tube, and E. siskiyouense has a tube intermediate in size and shape. In terms of the ratio of tube length to width, the three taxa do not overlap. Although these characters are difficult to include in a key (since they require floral dissection and/or precise measurements), they are diagnostic for these species.

Epilobium siskiyouense has an additional diagnostic floral character that is unique in the genus. Whereas most other species of Epilobium have a simple ring of spreading hairs, sometimes with a low ridge of tissue near the mouth of the floral tube, E. siskiyouense has a relatively broad ring of tissue (0.3–0.6 mm wide), shaped like a washer, from which spreading hairs arise; this feature may provide protection for the nectar.

Epilobium siskiyouense has two distinct patterns of vestiture on the stems. In some specimens, the lower stems are mixed canescent and glandular puberulent and the inflorescence only glandular puberulent. In other specimens, the stems are subglabrous below a sparsely canescent and glandular puberulent inflorescence. There is no obvious correlation of this difference with any other morphological, ecological, or geographical factors.

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

Epilobium foliosum is an autogamous self-compatible species, frequently with cleistogamous flowers, and even when the flowers are somewhat larger and chasmogamous, they rarely have insect visitors. S. R. Seavey et al. (1977b) tentatively determined a specimen from Guadalupe Island, 280 km off the coast of Baja California, Mexico (Palmer 4217 in 1875) as Epilobium foliosum, and an additional sheet of the same collection (GH, as Palmer 31) had mature seeds (0.75–0.8 mm, low papillose) that verify that determination. No additional collections of this affinity since that by Palmer in 1875 have been found at this locality nor elsewhere in Mexico. Another disjunct occurrence of this species, at least 600 km east of California populations in Gila County, Arizona, is equally difficult to explain, since the collections, made between 1935 and the present, are from scattered localities in the region and do not seem obviously associated with introduction from human activity.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Epilobieae > Epilobium > sect. Epilobium Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Epilobieae > Epilobium > sect. Crossostigma
Sibling taxa
E. anagallidifolium, E. arcticum, E. brachycarpum, E. campestre, E. canum, E. ciliatum, E. clavatum, E. cleistogamum, E. coloratum, E. davuricum, E. densiflorum, E. densum, E. foliosum, E. glaberrimum, E. hallianum, E. hirsutum, E. hornemannii, E. howellii, E. lactiflorum, E. leptocarpum, E. leptophyllum, E. luteum, E. minutum, E. mirabile, E. montanum, E. nevadense, E. nivium, E. obcordatum, E. obscurum, E. oreganum, E. oregonense, E. pallidum, E. palustre, E. parviflorum, E. rigidum, E. saximontanum, E. septentrionale, E. smithii, E. suffruticosum, E. torreyi
E. anagallidifolium, E. arcticum, E. brachycarpum, E. campestre, E. canum, E. ciliatum, E. clavatum, E. cleistogamum, E. coloratum, E. davuricum, E. densiflorum, E. densum, E. glaberrimum, E. hallianum, E. hirsutum, E. hornemannii, E. howellii, E. lactiflorum, E. leptocarpum, E. leptophyllum, E. luteum, E. minutum, E. mirabile, E. montanum, E. nevadense, E. nivium, E. obcordatum, E. obscurum, E. oreganum, E. oregonense, E. pallidum, E. palustre, E. parviflorum, E. rigidum, E. saximontanum, E. septentrionale, E. siskiyouense, E. smithii, E. suffruticosum, E. torreyi
Synonyms E. obcordatum subsp. siskiyouense, E. obcordatum var. laxum E. minutum var. foliosum, E. foliosum var. glabrum, E. minutum var. biolettii
Name authority (Munz) Hoch & P. H. Raven: Madroño 27: 146. (1980) (Torrey & A. Gray) Suksdorf: Deutsche Bot. Monatsschr. 18: 87. (1900)
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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