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purpusia, rock whitefeather

Ivesia longibracteata

Castle Crags ivesia, longbract mousetail

Habit Plants green, ± tufted, often forming hanging clumps, sometimes rosetted. Plants green, ± tufted; taproot ± stout, not fleshy.
Stems

pendent or prostrate to ascending, (0.2–)0.5–1.6(–3) dm.

ascending to erect, 0.3–1.2 dm.

Basal leaves

planar, 2–15(–20) cm; sheathing base usually not strigose abaxially;

petiole 3–10 cm;

lateral leaflets (2–)3–4(–5) per side, separate, broadly ovate or obovate to orbiculate, (2–)5–15(–18) mm, incised 1/4–3/4 to base into (3–)7–11 ± ovate teeth, apex not setose, surfaces ± sparsely short-pilose, ± glandular;

terminal leaflets ± distinct.

weakly planar to loosely ± cylindric, (0.5–)2–4(–6) cm; sheathing base glandular abaxially, otherwise glabrous;

petiole 0.5–2 cm, hairs 0.2–1 mm;

leaflets 5–6 per side, 2–6 mm, ± short-hirsute, glandular-puberulent, lobes 2–7, oblanceolate to spatulate or obovate, apex not setose.

Cauline leaves

1–3;

blade well developed.

1–3, not paired.

Inflorescences

(1–)5–30(–150)-flowered, open, 0.5–14 cm diam.

3–14-flowered, 1–2.5 cm diam.;

glomerules 1.

Pedicels

5–30 mm.

1.5–6 mm.

Flowers

6–12 mm diam.;

epicalyx bractlets 0(–3), lanceolate, 0.9–1.8 mm;

hypanthium turbinate or campanulate, 1.5–3(–5) × 1–3(–4) mm;

sepals 2–4(–5) mm, acute;

petals yellow or white, oblanceolate to elliptic or obovate, (1.6–)2–4 mm;

stamens 5, filaments 0.8–1.3 mm, anthers ± yellow, oblong to narrowly ovate, 0.6–1.5 mm;

carpels (2–)6–10(–13), atop a stipelike torus, styles 0.9–1.8 mm.

8–10 mm diam.;

epicalyx bractlets linear to narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, 2.5–5 mm, longer than sepals;

hypanthium shallowly cupulate, 0.5–1 × 2–3 mm;

sepals 1.5–2.5 mm, ± acute;

petals pale yellow, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm;

stamens 5, filaments 0.7–1.3 mm, anthers yellow, 0.5–0.8 mm;

carpels 6–11, styles 1–1.5 mm.

Achenes

greenish white to light tan, 1.2–2 mm, faintly rugose, ± carunculate.

cream to light tan, 1.2–1.5 mm.

Ivesia arizonica

Ivesia longibracteata

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Dry crevices of granodioritic igneous rock, in mixed oak-conifer woodlands
Elevation 1200–1400 m (3900–4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Because the epithet saxosa was retained for Potentilla saxosa upon transfer to Ivesia, a different epithet (arizonica) was needed when Purpusia was likewise transferred in the same publication (B. Ertter 1989). The correct name for this species in Potentilla is P. osterhoutii (A. Nelson) J. T. Howell, due to the existence of P. arizonica.

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

Of conservation concern.

Ivesia longibracteata is known only from the Castle Crags area of Shasta County. The epithet alludes to a diagnostic characteristic unique in the genus: the epicalyx bractlets are longer than the sepals. The plants grow on vertical rock faces, a habitat more characteristic of sect. Setosae; however, the stems are ascending to erect and do not form hanging clumps, and the pedicels are not curved in fruit.

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

Key
1. Petals yellow; hypanthia campanulate.
var. arizonica
1. Petals white; hypanthia turbinate.
var. saxosa
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 224. FNA vol. 9, p. 236.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Ivesia > sect. Setosae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Ivesia > sect. Ivesia
Sibling taxa
I. aperta, I. argyrocoma, I. baileyi, I. callida, I. campestris, I. cryptocaulis, I. gordonii, I. jaegeri, I. kingii, I. longibracteata, I. lycopodioides, I. muirii, I. multifoliolata, I. paniculata, I. patellifera, I. pickeringii, I. pityocharis, I. pygmaea, I. rhypara, I. sabulosa, I. santolinoides, I. saxosa, I. sericoleuca, I. setosa, I. shockleyi, I. tweedyi, I. unguiculata, I. utahensis, I. webberi
I. aperta, I. argyrocoma, I. arizonica, I. baileyi, I. callida, I. campestris, I. cryptocaulis, I. gordonii, I. jaegeri, I. kingii, I. lycopodioides, I. muirii, I. multifoliolata, I. paniculata, I. patellifera, I. pickeringii, I. pityocharis, I. pygmaea, I. rhypara, I. sabulosa, I. santolinoides, I. saxosa, I. sericoleuca, I. setosa, I. shockleyi, I. tweedyi, I. unguiculata, I. utahensis, I. webberi
Subordinate taxa
I. arizonica var. arizonica, I. arizonica var. saxosa
Synonyms Purpusia arizonica
Name authority (Eastwood ex J. T. Howell) Ertter: Syst. Bot. 14: 233. (1989) Ertter: Syst. Bot. 14: 233, fig. 1. (1989)
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