Smelowskia borealis
Smelowskia pyriformis
false candytuft
pearshape smelowskia
several from base, often unbranched or branched proximally, 0.6–3(–3.5) dm, trichomes simple, to 1 mm, mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.
usually several, rarely simple from base, usually unbranched, rarely branched, 0.5–2.4(–3) dm, trichomes simple, to 1.3 mm, mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.
petiole 0.5–3.2 cm, ciliate or not;
blade obovate to ovate in outline, (terminal segments linear, oblong, or ovate), 0.7–2.5 cm × 4–14 mm, (terminal segments 0.2–1.1 cm × 1–5 mm), margins palmately (3 or) 5 (or 7)-lobed, (surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes dendritic, often mixed with larger, simple ones, to 1 mm), apex obtuse or subacute.
petiole 1–4 cm, often ciliate, trichomes simple;
blade broadly ovate to oblong in outline, (terminal segments oblong to or ovate), 1–2.2 cm × 8–15 mm, (terminal segments 0.4–1 cm × 1.5–3 mm), margins pinnatifid, apex obtuse.
shortly petiolate or sessile;
blade often similar to basal, smaller distally, margins sometimes pinnatifid.
shortly petiolate or sessile;
blade similar to basal, smaller distally.
considerably elongated in fruit.
considerably elongated in fruit.
sepals (usually persistent), 2.5–3.2 mm;
petals purple to lavender, suborbicular to obovate, 4–5 × 1.5–2 mm, narrowed to claw, 1.5–2.5 mm, apex rounded;
anthers oblong, 0.4–0.5 mm.
sepals 1.2–2.2 mm;
petals purple, lavender, or white, suborbicular to obovate, 2.5–4.5 × 1–2.5 mm, narrowed to claw, 1–2 mm, apex rounded;
anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.
spreading to divaricate-ascending, (secund, often curved), proximalmost bracteate, 6–15(–20) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.
ascending to divaricate-ascending, (often forming less than 40˚ angle), proximalmost bracteate, 5–15(–20) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple (to 1.4 mm), mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.
spreading to ascending, usually oblanceolate to spatulate or linear-oblanceolate, rarely oblong-obovate, angustiseptate, (8–)12–28 × 4–8 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse;
valves each with prominent midvein and distinct lateral veins, (rarely sparsely pubescent);
ovules 10–18 per ovary;
style 0.1–1.1 mm.
ascending, pyriform, subterete, 5–9 × 2.5–4 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded;
valves each with prominent midvein;
ovules 4 per ovary;
style 0.4–1.2 mm.
1.5–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm.
(oblong-lanceolate) 2.5–3.2 × 1–1.5 mm.
= 12.
= 12.
Smelowskia borealis
Smelowskia pyriformis
W. H. Drury Jr. and R. C. Rollins (1952) and Rollins (1993) divided Smelowskia borealis into four varieties based on the duration of sepals (persistent versus caducous), style length (less than versus greater than 0.5 mm), and density of indumentum. The various states of these three characters are present in all possible combinations, and they are not inherited in the combinations presented by these authors. Some forms of the species are densely villous and resemble S. johnsonii in their leaf indumentum and perhaps merit recognition as an infraspecific taxon (var. villosa). As delimited here, S. borealis is quite variable; more studies are needed to determine whether or not any of the four varieties merit recognition at some rank. Although numerous collections of the species were examined, none of the types was available for preparing this account. The species is easily distinguished from the remaining North American Smelowskia by having secund infructescences and distinctly angustiseptate fruits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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