Flora of North America species comparison

Of conservation concern.

At its most distinctive, var. puberula is represented by historic collections from the hills and plains of Los Angeles, western Riverside, extreme southwestern San Bernardino, and northwestern San Diego counties; these populations have now largely been destroyed by urbanization. Scattered populations still exist within this core area, to what extent and with what level of ensured continuity remains uncertain. In addition, multiple populations of Horkelia cuneata from as far north and west as San Luis Obispo County have characteristics of var. puberula; these tend to intergrade with var. cuneata, as do some historic collections from the core area.

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

Species 20 (20 in the flora).

As discussed under 9. Ivesia, recognition of the ivesioid genera including Horkelia results in a paraphyletic Potentilla, which the first author does not find sufficient to dictate generic circumscriptions. On the basis of morphology and biogeography, Horkelia itself is likely nested within Ivesia as the branch that has radiated primarily within the California Floristic Province (see discussions under Ivesia regarding discordance with M. Töpel et al. 2012, http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0050358). Ivesia in the strict sense consists of an exceptionally diverse array of well-defined species; in contrast, Horkelia is more morphologically coherent as a genus but with species less sharply defined. The primary unifying features of the genus result from a flower specifically adapted for bee pollination: a relatively deep, flat-bottomed hypanthium containing abundant nectar, to which access is restricted by the columnar arrangement of ten erect stamens with flattened filaments, at least in early flowering. Anthers open introrsely by adaxial slits so that pollen is deposited on a visitor forcing its way into the staminal column.

Other diagnostic characteristics of Horkelia include a distinctive resinous aroma in most species (except sect. Tridentatae and sect. Hispidulae) and various levels of glandularity. The terminal leaflet is most often lobed and/or confluent with lateral leaflets, in contrast to Drymocallis, which is often confused with Horkelia. Leaves range from planar with distinct leaflets to cylindric with overlapping leaflets, the latter condition often a response to drought stress in species that are normally planar-leaved. Sepals are often strongly reflexed.

Stem lengths given below include inflorescences. Leaflet descriptions are based primarily on mid rachis leaflets of the larger basal leaves present at flowering; leaflets on the smaller outermost leaves formed early in the growing season are often less divided and less hairy. Counts of leaflet marginal segments include both shallow (teeth) and deep (lobes) ultimate divisions. Flowers are often aggregated into a single corymbiform cluster or one to many more globular glomerules, some of which are tightly capitate. Hypanthia interiors are glabrous in most species, except for the hairs surrounding the torus; some taxa are also more or less pilose on the internal hypanthial walls, especially just below the rim. Sepals are described as spreading or reflexed based on their orientation at anthesis. Larger and smaller anthers often are alternating; measurements are primarily of the larger filaments, with width measured at the base. See under 8. Potentilla and 9. Ivesia for additional discussion of special terminology.

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