Ivesia unguiculata
Ivesia sect. Unguiculatae
Yosemite ivesia, Yosemite mousetail
decumbent to ascending, 1–3.5 dm.
(0.3–)1–4.5(–5.5) dm.
(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.
loosely to tightly cylindric (± mousetail-like in I. argyrocoma and I. kingii var. eremica);
stipules present or absent;
leaflets loosely or, sometimes, tightly overlapping, individually distinguishable or not, lobed to base, sometimes entire;
terminal leaflets indistinct, sparsely to densely hairy or glabrate.
3–6.
(1–)2–10(–15), not paired;
blade ± well developed.
(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.
open to congested, flowers arranged individually and/or in glomerules, these usually ± capitate.
1–3 mm.
remaining ± straight (rarely ± curved in I. argyrocoma).
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.
hypanthium shallowly cupulate or campanulate to turbinate, rarely patelliform (I. pityocharis);
petals not medially reflexed, light yellow to white, sometimes pink-tinged, ± clawed, apices rounded or truncate to emarginate;
stamens usually 20 (10–15 in I. unguiculata, 12–20 in I. campestris), anthers ± as long as to longer than wide, laterally dehiscent;
carpels (1–)2–20.
light brown, 1.2–1.5 mm.
vertical, smooth, not carunculate.
Ivesia unguiculata
Ivesia sect. Unguiculatae
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.)
Species 8 (8 in the flora).
Section Unguiculatae encompasses a series of species that have radiated in montane meadows in California, from Siskiyou and Trinity counties through the Sierra Nevada to the San Bernardino Mountains, and in the Carson, Virginia, and Pine Nut ranges in adjacent Nevada; one variety of Ivesia argyrocoma is endemic to the Sierra San Pedro Mártir in Baja California, Mexico. The species occur in seasonally wet/dry meadows and flats, including some specific substrate types of localized occurrence that often support suites of endemic species. The most widespread species in the section, I. kingii, has adapted to alkali-crusted valley bottoms extending across the Great Basin to western Utah.
Members of sect. Unguiculatae are nearly glabrous to densely sericeous but lack the conspicuous glandularity and distinctive ivesioid smell that characterize sects. Ivesia and Setosae. The taproot is often elongate and fleshy-thickened, which is apparently an adaption for when the preferred habitat becomes seasonally desiccated. Leaves are cylindric with deeply lobed leaflets. Flowers are usually aggregated into multiple few- to many-flowered glomerules; sometimes they are individually arranged in diffuse inflorescences. Petals are white to pale yellow but never golden yellow and are often conspicuously clawed. Stamens are commonly 20 except in Ivesia campestris and I. unguiculata.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Filaments flattened; leaflets (1–)2–3.5 mm, tightly overlapping; plants silvery; stems prostrate to ascending, (0.3–)1–2.5(–3) dm; cauline leaves (1–)2–3; San Bernardino Mountains, s California. | I. argyrocoma |
1. Filaments filiform; leaflets (1.5–)2–15(–20) mm, loosely overlapping (tightly so in some I. kingii); plants green to grayish or silvery; stems prostrate-decumbent to erect, (0.5–)1–4(–5.5) dm; cauline leaves 2–15; w United States | → 2 |
2. Stamens 10–20, filaments 0.6–1.1 mm; leaflets 15–20(–25) per side; c, s Sierra Nevada, California | → 3 |
2. Stamens 20, filaments (1–)1.5–4 mm; leaflets 15–50(–60) per side; n California to Utah | → 4 |
3. Petals 5, white, often tinged with pink; sepals heavily purple-mottled; inflorescences (15–)30–100(–200)-flowered; c Sierra Nevada. | I. unguiculata |
3. Petals 4(–5), light yellow; sepals green; inflorescences 5–20(–40)-flowered; s Sierra Nevada. | I. campestris |
4. Flowers arranged in tight glomerules of 5–20 flowers; pedicels 1–3(–15) mm | → 5 |
4. Flowers arranged individually or in loose glomerules of 2–10 flowers; pedicels (1–)2–20(–25) mm | → 6 |
5. Petals white; petiole hairs usually spreading, 1–4 mm; hypanthia campanulate to shallowly turbinate, 1.5–3 mm, often nearly as deep as wide. | I. sericoleuca |
5. Petals light yellow; petiole hairs ascending, ± 1(–3) mm; hypanthia cupulate, 1–2 mm, 1/2–2/3 as deep as wide. | I. aperta |
6. Petals oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate; hypanthia cupulate to turbinate, 1.5–3 mm, often nearly as deep as wide; on ultramafic-derived soil; n California. | I. pickeringii |
6. Petals spatulate or obovate to orbiculate; hypanthia shallowly cupulate to patelliform, 0.5–2.5 mm, ± 1/2 as deep as wide; on alkaline soil or in non-alkaline meadows; Great Basin and n Mojave Desert | → 7 |
7. Leaflets 15–60 per side, hairs absent or 0.2–0.5(–1) mm, ± appressed; carpels 2–9; alkali-crusted flats, e California, Nevada, sw Utah. | I. kingii |
7. Leaflets 5–25 per side, hairs 1–3 mm, spreading to ascending; carpels 8–20; meadows in sagebrush, Pine Nut Mountains, Nevada. | I. pityocharis |
CA
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