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bladdernut, Sierra bladdernut

bladdernut, staphylier

Habit Plants 2–6 m. Leaves: leaflet blades widely ovate to widely elliptic or ± round, (2–)2.5–8(–15) cm, margins crenulate-serrulate, apex short-acuminate to apiculate, glabrous. Shrubs, rarely trees.
Stems

1–10+.

Leaves

3(–5)-foliolate [odd-pinnate];

stipules linear, papery;

terminal leaflets long-petiolulate, laterals short-petiolulate or sessile;

leaflet blades ovate to elliptic or obovate, base oblique, rounded, or cuneate, lateral ± asymmetric, apex ± acuminate to apiculate, glabrous or sparsely villous, densely when young;

hairs unicellular.

Thyrses

5–15[–25+]-flowered, on 2d-year wood, pedunculate, bracteate.

Pedicels

basally 2-bracteolate, with swollen point of disarticulation mid length.

Flowers

cylindro-campanulate;

sepals white, 5–7(–9) mm;

petals narrowly oblong or oblanceolate, 7–8(–12) mm, apex not recurved;

filaments exserted, 9–10(–15) mm, longer than petals, glabrous;

pistils glabrous, styles equal to or surpassing stamens.

appearing before or with leaves, campanulate or cylindro-campanulate;

sepals white or pale greenish pink to pale pink, petaloid, equal to or shorter than petals;

petals white [pink];

stamens ± exserted, equal to or longer than petals;

pistils short-stalked, stigmas (2–)3(–4)-lobed.

Capsules

ellipsoid, (2.5–)3.5–4(–5.5) cm.

brownish, ellipsoid or obovoid, trigonous, papery;

carpels becoming distinct distally;

sepals persistent;

styles ± persistent.

Seeds

light brown, ± spheric.

x

= 13.

Staphylea bolanderi

Staphylea

Phenology Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Chaparral, foothill woodlands, yellow pine forests, slopes, canyon sides
Elevation (200–)300–1400 m ((700–)1000–4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America; Mexico; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Staphylea bolanderi occurs in the foothills and at the lower elevations of the Cascades and Klamath ranges, the Sierra Nevada, and the Tehachapi Mountains.

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

Species 10 (2 in the flora).

Staphylea species are cultivated as garden ornamentals.

The two North American species of Staphylea differ in their floral biology: the flowers of S. trifolia are pinkish green (sepals) and campanulate with barely exserted stamens and styles; those of S. bolanderi are white and more tubular (cylindro-campanulate) with well-exserted stamens and styles. These differences appear to correlate with pollinators available in the eastern deciduous forest and in California, respectively.

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

Key
1. Leaves abaxially ± villous; flowers campanulate; sepals pale greenish, greenish pink to pale pink to whitish; stamen filaments equal to or slightly longer than petals; filaments (basally) and pistils villous; capsules obovoid; e North America.
S. trifolia
1. Leaves glabrous; flowers cylindro-campanulate; sepals white; stamen filaments longer than petals; filaments and pistils glabrous; capsules ellipsoid; California.
S. bolanderi
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 8. FNA vol. 9, p. 7.
Parent taxa Staphyleaceae > Staphylea Staphyleaceae
Sibling taxa
S. trifolia
Subordinate taxa
S. bolanderi, S. trifolia
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 69. (1874) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 270. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 130. (1754)
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