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wiry snapdragon

Nuttall's snapdragon, violet snapdragon

Habit Annuals. Annuals, rarely biennials.
Stems

7–170 cm, not self-supporting, glabrous, eglandular-hairy, or glandular-hairy;

branches twining.

6–200 cm, not self-supporting, glandular-hairy;

branches twining.

Leaves

opposite proximally, alternate distally;

blade ovate to narrowly elliptic, 10–60 × 1–20 mm, surfaces glabrous or hairy.

opposite proximally, alternate distally;

blade ovate, 2–60 × 1–50 mm, surfaces glandular-hairy.

Inflorescences

axillary, racemes or flowers solitary.

axillary, flowers solitary.

Pedicels

1–4 mm.

2–20(–25) mm.

Flowers

cleistogamous and chasmogamous;

calyx lobes unequal, glandular-hairy, adaxial lobe 3.5–14 × 1–9 mm;

corolla light purple to white, often dark-veined, 8–17 mm, base gibbous, mouth 2–4 mm diam., palate sometimes purple-veined, convex, 3.5–8 mm diam., puberulent.

cleistogamous and chasmogamous;

calyx lobes equal, glandular-hairy, adaxial lobe 3–6 × 1–3.5 mm;

corolla pale purple to purple, sometimes dark-veined, 7–12 mm, base slightly gibbous, mouth 2.5–3.5 mm diam., palate white, purple-veined, rounded, 2.5–6 mm diam., puberulent.

Capsules

ovoid, 4–8 mm, glandular-hairy, abaxial locule with 1 pore.

ovoid, 3–11 mm, glandular-hairy, abaxial locule with 1 pore.

Seeds

dark brown to black, 0.7–1.5 mm, tuberculate, reticulate-ridged.

brown, 0.5–1 mm, ridged longitudinally.

2n

= 30.

= 32.

Sairocarpus vexillocalyculatus

Sairocarpus nuttallianus

Phenology Flowering Mar–Aug.
Habitat Stabilized coastal dunes, rocky or disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–1300 m. (0–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Subspecies breweri and vexillocalyculatus intergrade where their distributions overlap in the coastal ranges of California. Subspecies intermedius is disjunct in the Sierra Nevada.

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

Plants of Sairocarpus nuttallianus are unique in having gold-colored hairs in the mouth of the corolla. D. M. Thompson (1988) recognized two intergrading subspecies based on degree of hairiness and slight differences in seed sculpturing, but the differences are minor and inconsistent.

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

Key
1. Stems proximally glabrous or eglandular-hairy; corollas 11–17 mm, adaxial lips 7–17 mm.
subsp. vexillocalyculatus
1. Stems proximally glandular-hairy and, sometimes, eglandular-hairy; corollas 8–15 mm, adaxial lips 2–5.5 mm.
→ 2
2. Inflorescence branches with 1 leaf at each proximal node.
subsp. breweri
2. Inflorescence branches with 2 leaves at each proximal node.
subsp. intermedius
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 47. FNA vol. 17, p. 46.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Sairocarpus Plantaginaceae > Sairocarpus
Sibling taxa
S. cornutus, S. coulterianus, S. kingii, S. multiflorus, S. nuttallianus, S. subcordatus, S. virga, S. watsonii
S. cornutus, S. coulterianus, S. kingii, S. multiflorus, S. subcordatus, S. vexillocalyculatus, S. virga, S. watsonii
Subordinate taxa
S. vexillocalyculatus subsp. breweri, S. vexillocalyculatus subsp. intermedius, S. vexillocalyculatus subsp. vexillocalyculatus
Synonyms Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum Antirrhinum nuttallianum, A. nuttallianum subsp. subsessile, A. nuttallianum var. subsessile, A. pusillum, A. subsessile, S. pusillus
Name authority (Kellogg) D. A. Sutton: Revis. Antirrhineae, 472. (1988) (Bentham ex A. de Candolle) D. A. Sutton: Revis. Antirrhineae, 464. (1988)
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