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bull's kittentail or coraldrops

serpentine snow queen, snow queen

Leaves

strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year;

blade elliptic or ovate to broadly ovate, 25+ mm wide, leathery, base rounded to lobate or cordate, margins crenate, teeth apices obtuse to rounded, surfaces hairy;

basal veins extending into distal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 3–6 on each side of midvein.

persistent, some withering in 2d year as new leaves expand;

blade ovate to ovate-cordate, 25+ mm wide, leathery, base lobate to cordate, margins incised-crenate, teeth apices acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or hairy;

basal veins extending into distal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 2–4 on each side of midvein.

Racemes

erect, to 40 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 10–30, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

flowers 100+, densely aggregated (separating in fruit).

decumbent, to 14 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts usually 0;

flowers 5–10, loosely aggregated.

Stamens

epipetalous.

epipetalous.

Ovaries

puberulent to villous;

ovules 17–40.

ovules 4.

Capsules

hairy.

sparsely hairy on margins.

Sepals

4.

4.

Petals

(3 or)4, apex entire or erose;

corolla yellow, bilabiate, tubular to ellipsoid, longer than calyx, hairy, lateral and abaxial petals connate ca. 1/2 their lengths, tube conspicuous.

(3 or)4(or 5), apex entire or erose;

corolla blue, ± regular, campanulate, much longer than calyx, glabrous, tube conspicuous.

Synthyris bullii

Synthyris cordata

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting May–Jul. Flowering Feb–Apr; fruiting Mar–Jun.
Habitat Sandy prairies, sandy secondary deciduous forests. Forests.
Elevation 100–400 m. (300–1300 ft.) 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; IL; IN; MI; MN; OH; WI
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Synthyris bullii is protected throughout its range and may be extirpated in Ohio (NatureServe, www.natureserve.org).

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 299. FNA vol. 17, p. 299.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Synthyris Plantaginaceae > Synthyris
Sibling taxa
S. alpina, S. borealis, S. canbyi, S. cordata, S. dissecta, S. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
S. alpina, S. borealis, S. bullii, S. canbyi, S. dissecta, S. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Gymnandra bullii, Besseya bullii, Veronica bullii, Wulfenia bullii S. reniformis var. cordata, Veronica californica
Name authority (Eaton) A. Heller: Muhlenbergia 1: 4. (1900) (A. Gray) A. Heller: Muhlenbergia 1: 4. (1900)
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