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dwarf groundsmoke

Habit Herbs glabrous or sparsely and minutely glandular distally.
Stems

erect, unbranched or spreading and branched near base, secondary branches few or none, branching not dichotomous, 5–20(–30) cm.

Leaves

little reduced distally, crowded and often exceeding subtending internode, 10–25 × 1–3 mm;

petiole 0–10 mm;

blade very narrowly elliptic or lanceolate to sublinear.

Inflorescences

with flowers arising as proximally as first 1–3 nodes from base.

Flowers

sepals 0.6–1.3 mm, reflexed singly;

petals 0.8–1.5mm;

pollen 90–100% fertile;

stigma subglobose, surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

ascending, flattened, 8–17 × 1–2 mm, not constricted between seeds, valve margins entire or minutely undulate, 2 valves remaining attached to septum after dehiscence, septum straight;

pedicel 0–0.5 mm.

Seeds

24–50, all developing, arranged obliquely to septum and subopposite seeds in adjacent locule, forming 2 even rows in capsule, light brown, 0.7–1.1 × 0.3–0.4 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 14.

Gayophytum humile

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Drying margins of meadows, streams, lakes and pools.
Elevation 800–3000 m. (2600–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; WY; South America (Argentina, Chile)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Gayophytum humile is most similar to the allotetraploid G. racemosum and, on the basis of morphology, may be one of its parents. The two species are most distinct in their mature capsules; in G. humile the two lateral valves remain attached to the septum at dehiscence, whereas in G. racemosum all four valves separate from the septum at dehiscence.

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

Source FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Gayophytum
Sibling taxa
G. decipiens, G. diffusum, G. eriospermum, G. heterozygum, G. oligospermum, G. racemosum, G. ramosissimum
Synonyms Gayophytumnuttallii torrey
Name authority A. Jussieu: Ann. Sci. Nat. (Paris) 25: 18, plate 4. (1832)
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