Ivesia sericoleuca
Ivesia unguiculata
Plumas ivesia, Plumas mousetail
Yosemite ivesia, Yosemite mousetail
decumbent to ascending, 1.5–4.5 dm.
decumbent to ascending, 1–3.5 dm.
10–20(–30) cm; sheathing base densely strigose abaxially;
stipules absent;
petiole 2–6(–10) cm, hairs abundant, usually spreading, 1–4 mm;
leaflets 20–35 per side, loosely overlapping, 3–15 mm, lobes 0–4, oblanceolate to elliptic, hairs abundant, spreading to ascending, (0.5–)1–3(–4) mm.
(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.
3–8(–10).
3–6.
20–120-flowered, (2–)4–14 cm diam., flowers mostly arranged in several to many tight glomerules of 5–10 flowers.
(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.
1–3(–12) mm.
1–3 mm.
10–15 mm diam.;
epicalyx bractlets narrowly lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, (1.5–)2–2.5(–3) mm;
hypanthium campanulate to shallowly turbinate, 1.5–3 × 2.5–4.5(–5) mm, often nearly as deep as wide;
sepals sometimes purple-suffused, 3–5.5 mm, acute to acuminate;
petals white, broadly spatulate to broadly obovate or obcordate, 4–7 mm;
stamens 20, filaments filiform, 1.5–3 mm, anthers white to cream, 0.5–0.7 mm;
carpels 2–7, styles 2.5–4 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.
brown, 2–3 mm.
light brown, 1.2–1.5 mm.
= 28.
Ivesia sericoleuca
Ivesia unguiculata
Of conservation concern.
Ivesia sericoleuca is known from valleys and flats in the northern Sierra Nevada. Many historic collections were identified and distributed as I. unguiculata, and circumscriptions prior to 1962 include I. aperta (hence reports from Nevada).
Hairs are usually dense in plants of Ivesia sericoleuca, such that the leaves, and occasionally the stems and branches, are silvery gray, especially in Sierra Valley and the Feather River drainage. Plants in the Truckee River drainage tend to be less hairy with redder stems, less glomerate inflorescences, shallower hypanthia, and more conspicuous glandularity.
As mentioned by J. T. Howell (1962), the chromosome count given for Ivesia sericoleuca by P. A. Munz (1959) most likely was based on a collection of I. aperta var. aperta. The chromosome count given here is instead based on Kruckeberg 3665, originally distributed as I. pickeringii.
(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.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
