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purpusia, rock whitefeather

club-moss ivesia, clubmoss mousetail

Habit Plants green, ± tufted, often forming hanging clumps, sometimes rosetted. Plants green, usually rosetted, sometimes ± tufted; taproot fusiform, fleshy.
Stems

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

decumbent to erect, 0.3–3 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.

tightly to loosely cylindric, 1–15 cm; sheathing base glabrous abaxially;

petiole 0.5–4 cm, hairs 0.2–1 mm;

leaflets 10–35 per side, 1–8 mm, glabrous or short-hirsute, minutely glandular, lobes (2–)4–8(–10), linear to obovate or ± orbiculate, apex sometimes setose.

Cauline leaves

1–3;

blade well developed.

0–2(–3), not paired.

Inflorescences

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

3–20(–25)-flowered, (0.5–)1–2.5(–3.5) cm diam.;

glomerules usually 1.

Pedicels

5–30 mm.

(0.5–)1–7(–11) 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.

6–12 mm diam.;

epicalyx bractlets oblong to oval, 0.8–2.5(–3) mm;

hypanthium shallowly cupulate, 1–2 × 2.5–5 mm;

sepals (1.8–)2–4(–4.5) mm, obtuse to acute;

petals golden yellow, obovate, 2–5 mm;

stamens 5, filaments 0.8–2 mm, anthers yellow, 0.6–0.8 mm;

carpels (5–)8–15(–18), styles 1–3 mm.

Achenes

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

greenish tan to light brown, 1.2–1.5 mm.

Ivesia arizonica

Ivesia lycopodioides

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The three varieties of Ivesia lycopodioides are for the most part readily distinguished, though intergradation is known. The high-elevation var. lycopodioides extends farthest north; var. scandularis is the only variety in the White Mountains. Variety megalopetala is found mostly at somewhat lower (subalpine) elevations and generally has a more southern range.

(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
1. Leaflets short-hirsute, apical setae (0–)0.5–1(–2) mm; White Mountains and c Sierra Nevada.
var. scandularis
1. Leaflets glabrous or sparsely short-hirsute, apical setae 0–0.5 mm; Sierra Nevada and Sweetwater Mountains
→ 2
2. Leaflet lobes ± orbiculate, ± 1 mm; petals 2–3 × 1 mm.
var. lycopodioides
2. Leaflet lobes linear to oblanceolate, 2–8 mm; petals 3–5 × 2–4 mm.
var. megalopetala
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 224. FNA vol. 9, p. 232.
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. longibracteata, 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
I. lycopodioides var. lycopodioides, I. lycopodioides var. megalopetala, I. lycopodioides var. scandularis
Synonyms Purpusia arizonica Potentilla lycopodioides
Name authority (Eastwood ex J. T. Howell) Ertter: Syst. Bot. 14: 233. (1989) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 530. (1865)
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