Gilmania
golden-carpet
arising directly from the root, spreading to decumbent or prostrate, solid, not fistulose or disarticulating into ringlike segments, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.
quickly deciduous, basal and cauline, in whorls of 3;
petiole present only at proximal nodes;
blade oblong to broadly elliptic or obovate, margins entire.
terminal, cymose;
branches mostly dichotomous, not brittle or disarticulating into segments, round, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;
bracts absent.
absent.
3–9 per node at any single time during full anthesis;
perianth yellow, broadly campanulate when open, narrowly urceolate when closed, thinly pubescent abaxially;
tepals 6, connate proximally, monomorphic, entire apically;
stamens 9;
filaments basally adnate, pilose basally;
anthers yellow, ovate.
included, brown, not winged, 3-gonous, glabrous.
embryo curved.
bracts absent.
Gilmania
Species 1.
Gilmania is restricted to the valley edges and low mountains surrounding Death Valley in Inyo County. In a “good” year, tens of millions of plants carpet the area, giving the edge of the valley a ring of golden yellow. Each individual produces thousands of flowers, and seed set in the plush years is enormous, thereby assuring long-term survival even in this harsh environment. The genus is allied to Eriogonum subg. Ganysma.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
