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mouse tail ivesia, Sierra mousetail, silver mousetail, stellariopsis

Yosemite ivesia, Yosemite mousetail

Habit Plants ± grayish to silvery. Plants ± grayish, often purple-tinged; glands sparse to abundant.
Stems

ascending to erect, (1–)1.5–4 dm.

decumbent to ascending, 1–3.5 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.

(4–)7–15 cm; sheathing base ± glabrous abaxially;

stipules linear, 3–6 mm;

petiole (0.3–)0.5–4(–5) cm, hairs sparse to abundant, ascending to spreading, 1–2 mm;

leaflets 15–20(–25) per side, loosely overlapping, 3–6 mm, lobes 3–8, linear to oblanceolate, hairs sparse to abundant, spreading, 1–2 mm.

Cauline leaves

3–6.

Inflorescences

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

(15–)30–100(–200)-flowered, (1–)1.5–4(–8) cm diam., flowers mostly arranged in 1–several loose to tight glomerules of 5–10 flowers.

Pedicels

5–30 mm.

1–3 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.

6–9 mm diam.;

epicalyx bractlets linear or narrowly lanceolate to elliptic or narrowly oblong, 1.2–2(–3) mm;

hypanthium shallowly turbinate, 1.5–2.5 × 2–3(–3.5) mm, often nearly as deep as wide;

sepals heavily purple-mottled, (1.5–)2–3(–3.5) mm, acute;

petals white, often tinged with pink, oblanceolate to spatulate or obovate, 3–4 mm;

stamens 10–15, filaments filiform, 0.6–1.1 mm, anthers maroon, 0.3–0.5 mm;

carpels (1–)3–9, styles 1.4–2 mm.

Achenes

mottled grayish brown, 1.7–2 mm.

light brown, 1.2–1.5 mm.

2n

= 28.

Ivesia santolinoides

Ivesia unguiculata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Dry sandy granitic soil, decomposed granite accumulations, ledges and outcrops, in montane and subalpine conifer woodlands Moist meadows and slopes, in montane conifer woodlands
Elevation 1500–3600 m (4900–11800 ft) 1500–2500 m (4900–8200 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 unguiculata is found in mid-elevation meadows of the central Sierra Nevada, mostly north of the Kings River. The distinctive deep red to purplish coloration of the inflorescence, and the plant in general, can make patches of this species conspicuous as a smoky purplish haze in meadows. The shape and color of the inflorescences are similar to those of the sympatric Horkelia fusca var. parviflora, suggesting shared pollinators.

The description and illustration by J. D. Hooker (1881), supposedly of Potentilla (Ivesia) unguiculata, were based actually on material grown from seed of I. sericoleuca due to initial confusion of the two species (W. H. Brewer et al. 1876–1880, vol. 1).

The type (Kellogg s.n., CAS) of Potentilla ciliata Greene (not Rafinesque) is unquestionably this species; however, the purported locality (Owens Valley, Inyo County) is dubious and most likely an error in the labeling of the specimen by the collector.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 246. FNA vol. 9, p. 241.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Ivesia > sect. Stellariopsis Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Ivesia > sect. Unguiculatae
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. 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. utahensis, I. webberi
Synonyms Potentilla santolinoides, Stellariopsis santolinoides Potentilla unguiculata
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 531. (1865) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 339. (1868)
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