Garrya flavescens
Garrya elliptica
ashy silk tassel
coast silk-tassel, wavy leaf silk tassel
blade whitish abaxially (because of white epidermis), yellow-green to gray-green adaxially, flat to concave-convex, elliptic to obovate-elliptic to oval, (2–)3–8 × 1–4.5 cm, length 1.3–3.3 times width, margins flat to undulate, smooth, apex obtuse to rounded, abaxial surface sparsely to densely strigose-sericeous, hairs antrorsely appressed, adaxial surface dull, sparsely strigose to glabrate.
blade grayish to silvery white abaxially, green adaxially, flat to concave-convex, usually elliptic, sometimes oval to ovate-lanceolate, (2–)6–10(–12) × 1.4–7.2 cm, length 1.2–2.6 times width, margins ± undulate, often revolute and appearing crenate or dentate, smooth, apex rounded to obtuse, abaxial surface usually densely, sometimes becoming sparsely, closely tomentose, hairs curled or crisped, interwoven, adaxial surface glossy, glabrous.
5–8 mm diam., densely strigose-sericeous, sometimes glabrate toward base, not glaucous.
7–11 mm diam., densely tomentose, glabrescent, not glaucous.
staminate 3–8 cm; pistillate compact, internodes to 1 mm, unbranched, pendulous, 2–5 cm; pistillate bracts connate proximally into deep cup, at least at proximal nodes each subtending 3 flowers, broadly ovate-deltate with acuminate-recurved apices, differing in size and shape from leaves, densely strigose-sericeous.
staminate 8–15 cm; pistillate compact, internodes to 1 mm, unbranched, pendulous, 8–15 cm; pistillate bracts connate proximally into deep cup, at least at proximal nodes each subtending 3 flowers, ovate-triangular, differing in size and shape from leaves, densely silky-villous.
= 22.
Garrya flavescens
Garrya elliptica
The white abaxial leaf epidermis is distinctive of Garrya flavescens. Hairs on the abaxial leaf surfaces vary in length and density but all are relatively straight and parallel. Plants with slightly wavy hairs, said to be diagnostic for G. congdonii, occur in the western portion of the range (most often on serpentine but not restricted to it); intergrades are numerous and recognition of G. congdonii even at varietal rank appears to be subjective. Subspecies congdonii and subsp. pallida (the types of both taxa from California) together as a single evolutionary unit might be treated at subspecific rank and distinct from subsp. flavescens (the type from Arizona), but intergrades make even this difficult.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
As noted by T. F. Daniel (1993), the fruiting aments of Garrya elliptica are wider (18–28 mm) than those of G. veatchii (13–18 mm); apparent intermediates between the two have been noted in closed-cone pine forests in San Luis Obispo County (F. Hrusa, pers. comm.). In their area of sympatry they differ in habitat.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
