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Lewisia cotyledon

cliff lewisia, cliff maids, Siskiyou lewisia

Stebbins' lewisia

Taproots

gradually ramified distally.

gradually ramified distally.

Stems

ascending to suberect, 10–12(–30) cm.

procumbent, 1.5–14 cm.

Leaves

basal leaves evergreen, sessile or abruptly or gradually narrowed to broad petiole, blade oblanceolate, obovate, spatulate, or rarely ± linear or ± orbiculate, ± flattened, 3–14 cm, margins entire, crisped, or toothed, apex truncate, emarginate, retuse, or rounded;

cauline leaves alternate, intergrading with bracts, blade oblong to ovate, 5–10 mm, margins glandular-toothed, apex acute to occasionally obtuse.

basal leaves withering after anthesis, gradually tapered to broad petiole, blade oblanceolate, spatulate, or obovate, flattened, 2.5–8.5 cm, margins entire, apex obtuse;

cauline leaves absent.

Inflorescences

dense, paniculate to subumbellate cymes, 10–50-flowered;

bracts alternate or opposite proximally, 2 at each flowering node distally, obovate to lanceolate, 2–4 mm, margins glandular-toothed, apex acute.

subumbellate cymes, 1–3-branched, 3–11-flowered;

bracts several, usually an opposite pair proximally, plus 2 at each flowering node distally, ovate to elliptical, 1.8–3 mm, margins glandular-toothed, apex acute.

Flowers

pedicellate, not disarticulate in fruit;

sepals 2, suborbiculate to broadly ovate, 4–6 mm, herbaceous at anthesis, margins glandular-toothed, apex obtuse to truncate;

petals 7–10, usually pink-purple with pale and darker stripes, less often white, cream with pink-orange stripes, ± orange, or yellow, oblanceolate, obovate, or spatulate, (8–)12–20 mm;

stamens 5–12;

stigmas 2–4;

pedicel 2–5 mm.

pedicellate, not disarticulate in fruit;

sepals 2, broadly ovate, 3.5–7 mm, herbaceous at anthesis, margins glandular-toothed, apex rounded to truncate;

petals 7–10, magenta or carmine with whitish bases, veins darker, oblanceolate or obovate, 8–10 mm;

stamens 10–13;

stigmas 3–4;

pedicel 8–25 mm.

Capsules

3–5 mm.

5–7 mm.

Seeds

4–15, 1.5 mm, shiny, smooth.

20, 1.5–2 mm, shiny, smooth.

Lewisia cotyledon

Lewisia stebbinsii

Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Open meadows in dryish, rocky or gravelly soils
Elevation 1900 m (6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The varieties occasionally co-occur. Natural hybrids with Lewisia leeana are known (see discussion under 8. L. leeana).

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

Of conservation concern.

Lewisia stebbinsii is known only from the north Coast Ranges in Mendocino County

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

Key
1. Basal leaf blade margins entire or slightly undulate, not toothed or crisped; petals (8-)12-14 mm
var. cotyledon
1. Basal leaf blade margins strongly crisped or toothed; petals 12-20 mm
→ 2
2. Basal leaf blade margins toothed.
var. heckneri
2. Basal leaf blade margins strongly crisped
var. howellii
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 480. FNA vol. 4, p. 484.
Parent taxa Portulacaceae > Lewisia Portulacaceae > Lewisia
Sibling taxa
L. brachycalyx, L. cantelovii, L. columbiana, L. congdonii, L. disepala, L. kelloggii, L. leeana, L. longipetala, L. maguirei, L. nevadensis, L. oppositifolia, L. pygmaea, L. rediviva, L. stebbinsii, L. triphylla
L. brachycalyx, L. cantelovii, L. columbiana, L. congdonii, L. cotyledon, L. disepala, L. kelloggii, L. leeana, L. longipetala, L. maguirei, L. nevadensis, L. oppositifolia, L. pygmaea, L. rediviva, L. triphylla
Subordinate taxa
L. cotyledon var. cotyledon, L. cotyledon var. heckneri, L. cotyledon var. howellii
Synonyms Calandrinia cotyledon, Oreobroma cotyledon
Name authority (S. Watson) B. L. Robinson: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1: 268. (1897) Gankin & W. R. Hildreth: Four Seasons 2(4): 13, figs. a–c. (1968)
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