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diffuse groundsmoke, spreading groundsmoke

deceiving gayophytum, deceptive groundsmoke

Habit Herbs usually glabrous to strigillose, sometimes villous. Herbs glabrous or villous to strigillose.
Stems

erect, branched or unbranched near base, much branched distally, usually with 1 or 2 nodes between branches, distal branching dichotomous or lateral branches shortened, 5–60 cm.

erect or proximalmost branches decumbent, branched throughout, usually with 2–8 nodes between branches, branching usually not dichotomous, 5–50 cm.

Leaves

reduced distally, 10–60 × 1–5 mm;

petiole 0–10 mm;

blade very narrowly lanceolate.

somewhat reduced distally, 10–32 × 1–4 mm;

petiole 0–5 mm;

blade narrowly lanceolate to sublinear.

Inflorescences

with flowers arising usually as proximally as first 1–20 nodes from base.

with flowers arising as proximally as first 1–5 nodes from base.

Flowers

sepals 0.9–3(–5) mm, reflexed singly or in pairs;

petals 1.2–5(–7) mm;

pollen 90–100% fertile;

stigma hemispheric to subglobose, exserted beyond anthers of longer stamens or surrounded by them at anthesis.

sepals 0.7–1.1 mm, reflexed singly;

petals 1.1–1.8 mm;

pollen 90–100% fertile;

stigma subglobose, surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

ascending to reflexed, subterete, 3–15 × 1–1.5 mm, with inconspicuous or conspicuous constrictions between seeds, valve margins somewhat undulate, all valves free from septum after dehiscence, septum straight or sinuous;

pedicel 2–10(–15) mm, usually shorter than capsule.

usually ascending, rarely reflexed, not conspicuously flattened, 6–15 × 0.6–1 mm, with inconspicuous constrictions between seeds, valve margins slightly undulate, all valves free from septum after dehiscence, septum straight;

pedicel 0–5 mm.

Seeds

(3–)6–18, all or most developing, arranged ± parallel to septum and in alternating pattern between locules, crowded, overlapping, often appearing to form 2 irregular rows in each locule, or well spaced, forming a single row in capsule, brown, sometimes mottled with gray, 1–1.6 × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous or puberulent.

10–25, all developing, arranged ± parallel to septum and subopposite seeds in adjacent locule, forming 2 even rows in capsule, light brown, sometimes mottled with dark brown, 0.8–1.8 × 0.3–0.7 mm, glabrous or densely puberulent.

2n

= 28.

= 14.

Gayophytum diffusum

Gayophytum decipiens

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Sandy or gravely soil, in pinyon-juniper woodlands and pine forests, desert ranges, mountains bordering desert areas.
Elevation 1800–4200 m. (5900–13800 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; MMex
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Gayophytumdiffusum consists of a diverse assemblage of tetraploid populations, some of which are similar to every known diploid species except G. humile. The combination of characteristics of at least five diploid species in various ways suggests that the complex is derived from several independently formed allopolyploids that subsequently hybridized and segregated to produce the observed diversity.

Populations of Gayophytum diffusum differ in breeding behavior. Populations with relatively large flowers and stigmas that extend beyond the anthers are obviously outcrossing, whereas most populations are small-flowered and modally self-pollinated. It is among the latter that the greatest morphological diversity is found. Often two or more morphologically different, apparently true-breeding strains can be found growing together. In such a variable complex, recognition of infraspecific taxa becomes arbitrary. In this treatment the striking morphological differences associated with breeding behavior have been used as a basis for subspecies recognition. At some localities the two subspecies intergrade.

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

Gayophytum decipiens may be one of the parents of the allotetraploid species G. racemosum. Since some collections of the tetraploid G. diffusum subsp. parviflorum closely resemble G. decipiens, the latter has probably contributed to the extensive variation in the G. diffusum polyploid complex. Among the diploid species, G. decipiens is most similar to G. ramosissimum but can be distinguished by its branching habit and capsules.

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

Key
1. Petals 3–5(–7) mm; sepals 2–3(–5) mm; stigma usually exserted beyond anthers of longer stamens at anthesis.
subsp. diffusum
1. Petals 1.2–3 mm; sepals 0.9–2 mm; stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.
subsp. parviflorum
Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Gayophytum Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Gayophytum
Sibling taxa
G. decipiens, G. eriospermum, G. heterozygum, G. humile, G. oligospermum, G. racemosum, G. ramosissimum
G. diffusum, G. eriospermum, G. heterozygum, G. humile, G. oligospermum, G. racemosum, G. ramosissimum
Subordinate taxa
G. diffusum subsp. diffusum, G. diffusum subsp. parviflorum
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 513. (1840) H. Lewis & Szweykowski: Brittonia 16: 368, figs. 5H, 6C. (1964)
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