Flora of North America species comparison

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Garrya lindheimeri

Garrya wrightii

Lindheimer's silktassel

Wright silk tassel, Wright's silktassel
Habit Shrubs or trees 1–3.5(–5) m, branchlets puberulent, glabrescent. Shrubs or trees 1–3(–4) m, branchlets sparsely strigose, glabrescent.
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 yellowish green, flat, elliptic to broadly elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or elliptic-ovate, (2.5–)3–5.5 × (1–)1.5–3 cm, length 1.2–2.5 times width, margins flat, roughened or muriculate, apex obtuse to acute and mucronulate, abaxial surface glabrous, glabrate, or sparsely strigose, adaxial surface dull, glabrous or glabrate.
Berries

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

5–7 mm diam., sparsely strigose, glabrate, 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 1–2 cm; pistillate loose, internodes 4+ mm, sometimes branched, erect, 2–4 cm; pistillate bracts distinct or connate basally, each usually subtending 1 flower, narrowly lanceolate-ovate to linear-oblanceolate, at least proximal similar in size and shape to distal leaves, strigose.
2n

= 22.

Garrya lindheimeri

Garrya wrightii
Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Aug.
Habitat Rocky hills, ledges, cliffs, bluffs, canyons, ravines, along streams, limestone substrates, usually in oak-juniper woodlands. Cliff crevices, bluffs, canyons, among boulders, open slopes, pinyon-pine, and pine-oak woodlands, oak, oak-Nolina-Agave, and evergreen oak-mountain mahogany woodlands.
Elevation 200–400 m. (700–1300 ft.) (500–)1300–2500 m. ((1600–)4300–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Nuevo León)
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
[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.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 551. FNA vol. 12, p. 550.
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. elliptica, G. flavescens, G. fremontii, G. goldmanii, G. lindheimeri, G. veatchii
Synonyms G. ovata subsp. lindheimeri, G. ovata var. lindheimeri
Name authority Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 136. (1857) Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 136. (1857)
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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