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cut-leaf kittentail, western kittentails

Ritters' kittentail

Leaves

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

blade ± orbiculate, reniform, or cordate, 25+ mm wide, not leathery, base cordate or lobate, margins ± laciniate, sometimes palmately lobed or incised-crenate, teeth apices obtuse to rounded, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy;

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

strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year;

blade broadly elliptic to lanceolate, 25+ mm wide, leathery, base truncate to tapered, margins crenate, teeth apices acute to rounded, surfaces hairy;

basal veins extending through proximal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 5–12 on each side of midvein.

Racemes

erect, to 20 cm (usually less than 25 cm in fruit);

sterile bracts 3+, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

flowers 15–40, loosely aggregated.

erect, to 40 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 10–40, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

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

Stamens

epipetalous.

inserted on receptacle, but abaxial and adaxial petal lips basally adnate to stamens.

Ovaries

ovules 10–16.

glabrous or sparsely hairy at apex;

ovules 17–40.

Capsules

glabrous.

glabrous.

Sepals

4.

4.

Petals

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

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

3(or 4), apex entire or erose;

corolla yellow, bilabiate, ellipsoid, longer than calyx, puberulent on margins, lateral and abaxial petals of abaxial lip connate 1/2+ their lengths, abaxial and adaxial petal lips basally adnate to stamens, tube absent.

Synthyris laciniata

Synthyris ritteriana

Phenology Flowering late May–Aug; fruiting Jun–Oct. Flowering May–Aug; fruiting Jun–Oct.
Habitat Subalpine meadows, alpine tundra, fellfields. Moist subalpine or alpine meadows.
Elevation 2900–4000 m. (9500–13100 ft.) 2100–3800 m. (6900–12500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO
Discussion

Synthyris laciniata is found only in high mountain areas of central to west-central and southern Utah. Flowering in S. laciniata begins at the margins of melting snow banks.

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

Synthyris ritteriana is known from the San Juan and La Plata mountains, and adjacent areas of Gunnison and Montrose counties on San Juan and Hansen tuffs.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 300. FNA vol. 17, p. 303.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Synthyris Plantaginaceae > Synthyris
Sibling taxa
S. alpina, S. borealis, S. bullii, S. canbyi, S. cordata, S. dissecta, 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. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms S. pinnatifida var. laciniata, Veronica utahensis Besseya ritteriana, Veronica ritteriana
Name authority (A. Gray) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 353. (1900) Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 1: 123, plate 9, fig. 2. (1898)
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