Flora of North America species comparison

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Synthyris pinnatifida

Synthyris laciniata

feather-leaf kittentail

cut-leaf kittentail, western kittentails
Leaves

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

blade oblong-ovate to ovate, 25+ mm wide, not leathery, base lobate, margins 1- or 2-pinnatifid, teeth apices obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous or villous;

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

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.
Racemes

erect, to 30 cm in fruit;

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

flowers 10–40, loosely aggregated.

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

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

flowers 15–40, loosely aggregated.
Stamens

epipetalous.

epipetalous.
Ovaries

ovules 10–16.

ovules 10–16.
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(or 5), apex entire or erose;

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

Synthyris pinnatifida

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

Flowering in plants of Synthyris pinnatifida begins at the margins of melting snow banks.

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

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.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 302. FNA vol. 17, p. 300.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Synthyris Plantaginaceae > Synthyris
Sibling taxa
S. alpina, S. borealis, S. bullii, S. canbyi, S. cordata, S. dissecta, S. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, 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. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Veronica paysonii S. pinnatifida var. laciniata, Veronica utahensis
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 227, plate 22, figs. 1, 2 [ — as pinnata]. 1871 (A. Gray) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 353. (1900)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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