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bull's kittentail or coraldrops

evergreen kittentail, Idaho kittentails

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 broadly cordate or reniform to nearly orbiculate, 25+ mm wide, chartaceous, base cordate to lobate, margins crenate or incised-crenate, teeth apices rounded, 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).

erect, to 35 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 2, ovate-spatulate, largest less than 1 cm;

flowers 15–35, loosely aggregated.

Stamens

epipetalous.

epipetalous.

Ovaries

puberulent to villous;

ovules 17–40.

ovules 4.

Capsules

hairy.

glabrous.

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 laciniate;

corolla blue or lavender, suffused with white, ± regular, campanulate, much longer than calyx, glabrous, tube conspicuous.

Synthyris bullii

Synthyris platycarpa

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting May–Jul. Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Jun–Jul.
Habitat Sandy prairies, sandy secondary deciduous forests. Forest openings of upper Thuja-Pseudotsuga zone.
Elevation 100–400 m. (300–1300 ft.) 500–800(–2000) m. (1600–2600(–6600) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; IL; IN; MI; MN; OH; WI
from FNA
ID
[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.)

Synthyris platycarpa is known from the mountains above the Selway River and North Fork of the Clearwater River in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Clearwater and Idaho counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 299. FNA vol. 17, p. 303.
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. cordata, S. dissecta, S. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Gymnandra bullii, Besseya bullii, Veronica bullii, Wulfenia bullii Veronica idahoensis
Name authority (Eaton) A. Heller: Muhlenbergia 1: 4. (1900) Gail & Pennell: Amer. J. Bot. 24: 40. (1937)
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