Gayophytum oligospermum
Onagraceae subfam. onagroideae
pinegrove gayophytum, pinegrove groundsmoke
erect, usually unbranched near base, branched at each of several nodes proximal to first flower, less branched distally, branching dichotomous, 20–70 cm.
much reduced distally, 10–60 × 1–4 mm;
petiole 0–10 mm;
blade very narrowly lanceolate to sublinear.
stipules present or absent.
with flowers arising usually as proximally as first 10–20 nodes from base.
sepals 1–1.4 mm, reflexed singly or in pairs;
petals 1.5–2.5 mm;
pollen 90–100% fertile;
stigma subglobose, surrounded by anthers at anthesis.
floral tube present or, rarely, absent;
sepals 2 or 4 (very rarely 3), deciduous with floral tube, petals, and stamens;
petals yellow, white, pink, red, rarely in combination.
ascending to strongly reflexed, subterete, 4–9 × 0.9–1 mm, with conspicuous constrictions between seeds, valve margins undulate, all valves free from septum after dehiscence, septum sinuous;
pedicel 3–11 mm, usually about equal to capsule.
usually 3–6, all developing, arranged± parallel to septum and in alternating pattern between locules, adjacent seeds not overlapping, well spaced from each, forming a single row in capsule, brown, sometimes mottled with darker spots, 1.3–1.7 × 0.6–0.8 mm, glabrous.
= 14.
Gayophytum oligospermum
Onagraceae subfam. onagroideae
Gayophytum oligospermum is known only from Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in southern California.
Gayophytum oligospermum is morphologically similar to G. heterozygum and has been shown to have chromosomes that pair completely with one of the two arrangements that make up the genome of the complex heterozygote G. heterozygum, indicating that G. oligospermum is one of the parents of G. heterozygum or that it is derived from G. heterozygum (L. B. Thien 1969).
Gayophytum oligospermum has been reported from the summit of Breckenridge Mountain, Kern County, from a single collection (Charlton 3750, UCR). This record needs to be verified.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Genera 21, species 582 (16 genera, 246 species in the flora).
Onagroideae encompass the main lineage of the family, after the early branching of Ludwigia (R. A. Levin et al. 2003, 2004). This large and diverse lineage is distinguished by the presence of a floral tube beyond the apex of the ovary; sepals deciduous with the floral tube, petals, and stamens; pollen shed in monads (or tetrads in Chylismia sect. Lignothera and all but one species of Epilobium); ovular vascular system exclusively transseptal (R. H. Eyde 1981); ovule archesporium multicellular (H. Tobe and P. H. Raven 1996); and change in base chromosome number from x = 8 in Ludwigia to x = 10 or x = 11 at the base of Onagroideae (Raven 1979; Levin et al. 2003). Molecular work (Levin et al. 2003, 2004) substantially supports the traditional tribal classification (P. A. Munz 1965; Raven 1979, 1988); tribes are recognized to delimit major branches within the phylogeny of Onagroideae, where the branches comprise strongly supported monophyletic groups of one or more genera.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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