Ivesia sect. Ivesia
Ivesia cryptocaulis
Charleston Peak ivesia, Charleston Peak mousetail
(0.2–)0.3–2(–4) dm.
prostrate to decumbent, 0.2–0.6(–1) dm.
usually loosely to very tightly cylindric (mousetail-like in I. muirii), rarely weakly planar (I. longibracteata);
stipules present;
leaflets overlapping, individually distinguishable or not, lobed to base, sparsely to densely hairy, sometimes glabrous or glabrate;
terminal leaflets indistinct.
tightly cylindric, 1–4(–5) cm; sheathing base mostly not strigose abaxially;
petiole 0.3–2 cm, hairs 0.5–1 mm;
lateral leaflets 5–10(–12) per side, ± overlapping, ± flabellate, 1–2.5 mm, incised to base or nearly so into 3–5 obovate to oval lobes, apex sometimes ± setose, surfaces loosely long-strigose, sparsely glandular;
terminal leaflets indistinct.
(0–)1–3, sometimes paired;
blade usually ± reduced to vestigial, rarely well developed.
1(–2);
blade vestigial.
usually ± congested, sometimes becoming open in fruit, flowers mostly arranged in 1–few(–several in I. gordonii var. wasatchensis) loose to capitate glomerules.
1–10-flowered, ± congested, 0.5–1.5 cm diam.
remaining straight.
3–7(–10) mm.
hypanthium shallowly cupulate or campanulate, sometimes turbinate (I. gordonii);
petals not medially reflexed, golden to pale yellow, sometimes white (I. utahensis) and then sometimes pink-tinged, not or scarcely clawed, apex acute to truncate, rounded, or emarginate;
stamens 5 (10 in I. pygmaea), anthers longer than wide, laterally dehiscent;
carpels (1–)2–15(–30 in I. pygmaea).
6–9 mm diam.;
epicalyx bractlets 5, lanceolate to narrowly oblong or narrowly ovate, 0.8–1.3 mm;
hypanthium shallowly cupulate, ± 1 × 2–3(–4) mm;
sepals 1.5–2.3 mm, ± acute;
petals yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, 2–3.2 mm;
stamens 5, filaments 0.9–1.2 mm, anthers yellow, oblong, 0.7–0.9 mm;
carpels 6–10, styles 1–1.5 mm.
vertical, smooth or nearly so, not carunculate.
greenish cream to light brown, 1.4–1.8(–2) mm, smooth, not carunculate.
Ivesia sect. Ivesia
Ivesia cryptocaulis
Species 8 (8 in the flora).
Species in sect. Ivesia tend to form compact rosettes or tufts in open montane to alpine areas, often where rocky but generally not growing in rock crevices (except Ivesia longibracteata). General characteristics of the section are an overall evident glandularity, loosely to tightly cylindric leaves (mousetail-like in I. muirii), relatively short ascending to erect stems, straight pedicels, and flowers that are typically congested into 1–few capitate clusters that sometimes become more open in fruit. The taproots of some species, especially I. lycopodioides, are markedly enlarged, an adaptation to alpine growing conditions. The inclusion of two anomalous species in the section, I. longibracteata and I. webberi, is tentative; it is also possible that I. cryptocaulis belongs here rather than in sect. Setosae.
Section Ivesia has its center of species diversity in the high Sierra Nevada of California, where Ivesia pygmaea, with its ten stamens and more open habit, is possibly transitional between sects. Ivesia and Setosae. Ivesia gordonii (the most widespread species), I. tweedyi, and I. utahensis form an arc around the northern Great Basin, as outliers from the core Sierran distribution of the section.
Some early floras treated Ivesia pygmaea and I. lycopodioides as varieties of I. gordonii (for example, W. H. Brewer et al. 1876–1880, vol. 1) or Potentilla gordonii (Hooker) Greene (W. L. Jepson [1923–1925], 1909–1943, vol. 2). Recent treatments follow D. D. Keck (1938) in recognizing all three as distinct species; some annotations and references are nevertheless carried over from the earlier expanded circumscription of I. gordonii.
Since Ivesia cryptocaulis is sometimes identified as a member of sect. Ivesia, it is included herein and keys out in the seventh couplet.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Ivesia cryptocaulis is known only from timberline and above in the Spring Mountains of Clark County. Plants differ from all others of the genus by having slender, elongate, diffuse caudex branches that ramify through its habitat of gravel, scree, and talus. The species is here provisionally included in sect. Setosae as a diffusely matted relative of I. shockleyi (as also suggested by D. D. Keck 1938); the ecarunculate seeds and relatively straight pedicels may indicate a greater similarity to I. pygmaea in sect. Ivesia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Epicalyx bractlets longer than sepals, 2.5–5 mm; leaves weakly planar to loosely ± cylindric; leaflets 5–6 per side; Castle Crags, n California. | I. longibracteata |
1. Epicalyx bractlets shorter than sepals, 0.5–3(–4 in I. gordonii) mm; leaves loosely to tightly cylindric; leaflets mostly 10–40 per side (4–10 in I. webberi); w United States | → 2 |
2. Plants silvery; leaves very tightly cylindric (mousetail-like, with leaflets scarcely distinguishable); leaflets 0.4–1 mm. | I. muirii |
2. Plants ± green; leaves loosely to tightly cylindric; leaflets distinguishable, (0.5–)2–13(–18) mm | → 3 |
3. Cauline leaves 2, paired; basal leaves: leaflets 4–8(–10) per side; petiole hairs 2–4 mm. | I. webberi |
3. Cauline leaves 0–2(–3), not paired; basal leaves: leaflets (6–)10–35 per side; petiole hairs 0.2–1.5 mm | → 4 |
4. Hypanthia turbinate to campanulate, (1.5–)2–4(–4.5) mm (± as deep as wide); petals narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate. | I. gordonii |
4. Hypanthia shallowly cupulate or shallowly campanulate, 1–2 mm (wider than deep); petals oblanceolate or broadly elliptic to spatulate or broadly obovate | → 5 |
5. Carpels (1–)2–6(–9); Idaho, Utah, Washington | → 6 |
5. Carpels (5–)8–30; e California, Nevada | → 7 |
6. Petals white, sometimes pink-tinged; stems prostrate to ascending; leaflets 2–4 mm; Utah. | I. utahensis |
6. Petals golden yellow; stems ascending to erect; leaflets 4–7(–10) mm; n Idaho, Washington. | I. tweedyi |
7. Plants diffusely matted; Spring Mountains, s Nevada. | I. cryptocaulis |
7. Plants rosetted to tufted or ± tightly matted; Sierra Nevada, White Mountains, and Sweetwater Mountains of e California and adjacent w Nevada | → 8 |
8. Stamens 10; sheathing bases usually ± strigose abaxially; taproots stout, not fleshy. | I. pygmaea |
8. Stamens 5; sheathing bases glabrous abaxially; taproots fusiform, fleshy. | I. lycopodioides |
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