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Epilobium siskiyouense

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

Humboldt County fuchsia, northern willowherb

Habit Herbs ± suffruticose, shoots from woody caudex with barklike periderm extending to 40 cm below ground, shoots with scaly bases. Herbs usually not suffruticose, with basal shoots from thickened caudex, often decussate scales at base.
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.

decumbent, often matted, grayish green, terete, 5–25 cm, well-branched throughout, densely white-canescent proximally, mixed strigillose, villous, and 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.

densely spaced, opposite proximal to inflorescence, alternate or fasciculate distally, petiole 0–2 mm, blade grayish green to green, lanceolate or elliptic to narrowly ovate, 1–3.5(–4) × 0.4–1.1 cm, base cuneate or attenuate, margins subentire to low-denticulate, 5–8 teeth per side, veins inconspicuous, 3–5 per side, apex acute, sometimes with caducous dark mucro, surfaces densely white-canescent and eglandular proximally, changing abruptly on inflorescence to glandular puberulent mixed with scattered villous;

bracts somewhat reduced.

Inflorescences

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

ascending spikes or racemes, densely 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.

buds 12–15 × 4–5.5 mm, subsessile or pedicels 1–2 mm;

floral tube same color as petals, 17–23 × 3.5–5 mm, with ring of scales 4–5 mm from base inside;

sepals same color as petals, 7–12 × 2.5–3.5 mm;

petals red-orange, 8–14 × 5–6.5 mm, apical notch 1.8–2.4 mm;

filaments orange or red, those of longer stamens 15–17 mm, those of shorter ones 13–15 mm;

anthers 2.8–3.2 × 0.7–1 mm;

ovary 5–11 mm, glandular puberulent;

style light orange, 40–45 mm, stigma 4-lobed, 0.9–1.1 × 2.2–2.6 mm, exserted 8–10 mm beyond anthers.

Capsules

25–45 mm, surfaces canescent and glandular puberulent;

pedicel 6–25 mm.

± straight, 20–26 mm, ± beaked, surfaces glandular puberulent;

sessile or pedicel 1–3 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.

broadly to narrowly obovoid, with constriction 0.7–0.8 mm from micropylar end, 1.8–2.4 × 1.1–1.3 mm, chalazal collar inconspicuous, light brown, surface low-papillose;

coma easily detached, dingy white, 6–7 mm.

2n

= 36.

= 30.

Epilobium siskiyouense

Epilobium septentrionale

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat Stream banks, moist, rocky slopes, montane ridges, sometimes on serpentine areas. Rocky ledges and serpentine slopes along rivers.
Elevation 1600–2500 m. [5200–8200 ft.] 10–1900 m. [30–6200 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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 septentrionale is endemic to northern California, found only in the drainages of the Eel, Mattole, and Trinity rivers in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties. The dimorphic pattern of vestiture on this species (eglandular, white-canescent lower leaves versus glandular puberulent upper leaves and bracts) is highly distinctive and not found in any specimens of E. canum. Most collections are relatively uniform in aspect, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, despite the relative isolation from one another in the different river drainages where they occur.

S. R. Seavey and P. H. Raven (1977c) reported an experimental hybrid between Epilobium septentrionale and diploid E. canum subsp. canum; although it had normal chromosome pairing, pollen fertility was reduced (51%).

(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. Zauschneria
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. 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. siskiyouense, E. smithii, E. suffruticosum, E. torreyi
Synonyms E. obcordatum subsp. siskiyouense, E. obcordatum var. laxum Zauschneria septentrionalisd., E. canum subsp. septentrionale
Name authority (Munz) Hoch & P. H. Raven: Madroño 27: 146. (1980) (D. D. Keck) R. N. Bowman & Hoch: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 66: 897. (1980)
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