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mouse tail ivesia, Sierra mousetail, silver mousetail, stellariopsis

Ivesia longibracteata

Castle Crags ivesia, longbract mousetail

Habit Plants ± grayish to silvery. Plants green, ± tufted; taproot ± stout, not fleshy.
Stems

ascending to erect, (1–)1.5–4 dm.

ascending to erect, 0.3–1.2 dm.

Basal leaves

mousetail-like (individual leaflets scarcely distinguishable), 3–10 cm; sheathing base densely strigose abaxially;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm;

leaflets 60–80 per side, 0.6–1.5 mm, lobes (0–)3–5, obovate to oval, densely villous.

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, not paired.

Inflorescences

(10–)30–200-flowered, 3–8(–30) cm diam.

3–14-flowered, 1–2.5 cm diam.;

glomerules 1.

Pedicels

5–30 mm.

1.5–6 mm.

Flowers

5–8 mm diam.;

epicalyx bractlets oblong to broadly ovate or orbiculate, 0.2–0.5 mm;

hypanthium 0.5–1.5 × 2–3 mm;

sepals 1–2 mm, apex obtuse to acute;

petals white, broadly obovate to orbiculate, 2–2.5 mm;

stamens 15, filaments 1.2–1.8 mm, anthers purple, broadly obcordate to pouch-shaped, 0.3–0.4 mm;

carpels 1, styles 2–3 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

mottled grayish brown, 1.7–2 mm.

cream to light tan, 1.2–1.5 mm.

2n

= 28.

Ivesia santolinoides

Ivesia longibracteata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Dry sandy granitic soil, decomposed granite accumulations, ledges and outcrops, in montane and subalpine conifer woodlands Dry crevices of granodioritic igneous rock, in mixed oak-conifer woodlands
Elevation 1500–3600 m (4900–11800 ft) 1200–1400 m (3900–4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ivesia santolinoides is found on loose granitic substrates in the Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and San Jacinto Mountains from El Dorado to Riverside counties. The species is easily recognized by its silvery mousetail-like leaves and erect, diffuse inflorescences with small, plumlike flowers.

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 246. FNA vol. 9, p. 236.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Ivesia > sect. Stellariopsis Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Ivesia > sect. Ivesia
Sibling taxa
I. aperta, I. argyrocoma, I. arizonica, 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. 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
Synonyms Potentilla santolinoides, Stellariopsis santolinoides
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 531. (1865) Ertter: Syst. Bot. 14: 233, fig. 1. (1989)
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