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Lindheimer's silktassel

coast silk-tassel, wavy leaf silk tassel

Habit Shrubs or trees 1–3.5(–5) m, branchlets puberulent, glabrescent. Shrubs or trees 2–7 m, branchlets short-villous.
Leaves

blade green, flat, oblong-elliptic to broadly elliptic or obovate, 4.5–8 × 2.5–5 cm, length 2 times width, margins flat, smooth, without callose rim, apex rounded and mucronulate, abaxial surface persistently sparsely to densely puberulent-tomentulose, hairs coiling to recurved, adaxial surface glossy, glabrous or 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.

Berries

5–10 mm diam., glabrous, usually glaucous.

7–11 mm diam., densely tomentose, glabrescent, not glaucous.

Aments

staminate 2–3 cm; pistillate loose, internodes 4+ mm, sometimes branched, erect, 2–8 cm; pistillate bracts distinct or connate basally, each usually subtending 1 flower, elliptic to ovate, at least proximal similar in size and shape to distal leaves, minutely puberulent, hairs tightly coiling to strongly recurved.

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.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Garrya lindheimeri

Garrya elliptica

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering (Dec–)Jan–Mar.
Habitat Rocky hills, ledges, cliffs, bluffs, canyons, ravines, along streams, limestone substrates, usually in oak-juniper woodlands. Sea cliffs, sand dunes and hills, sandy riverbanks, gravelly sand, chaparral, closed-cone pine forests.
Elevation 200–400 m. (700–1300 ft.) 0–900(–1600) m. (0–3000(–5200) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Nuevo León)
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Judgments have varied regarding the rank Garrya lindheimeri, as illustrated by the synonymy above. Evidence counter to uniting it with Garrya ovata includes their ecological distinction and allopatry over most of their ranges. Morphological differences between G. lindheimeri and G. ovata are at least comparable to those among some of the California species, which intergrade to a greater extent than these do.

Garrya lindheimeri and G. goldmanii are allopatric in Texas, with the former restricted to the Edwards Plateau and adjacent Lampasas Cut Plain and the latter found only in trans-Pecos Texas. They become sympatric in Coahuila, Mexico, and remain distinct although hybrids and perhaps introgressants may be formed. Garrya goldmanii occurs in more xeric habitats, as indicated by the differences in distribution and ecology in Texas, and the ecological distinction also apparently exists in Coahuila. Their distinction where sympatric implies a degree of reproductive isolation and provides rationale for maintaining both at specific rank.

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 551. FNA vol. 12, p. 552.
Parent taxa Garryaceae > Garrya Garryaceae > Garrya
Sibling taxa
G. buxifolia, G. elliptica, G. flavescens, G. fremontii, G. goldmanii, G. veatchii, G. wrightii
G. buxifolia, G. flavescens, G. fremontii, G. goldmanii, G. lindheimeri, G. veatchii, G. wrightii
Synonyms G. ovata subsp. lindheimeri, G. ovata var. lindheimeri
Name authority Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 136. (1857) Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 20: plate 1686. (1834)
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