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feather-leaf kittentail

eggleaf kittentail or coraldrops

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.

strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year;

blade narrowly ovate to ovate or oblong-ovate, 25+ mm wide, slightly leathery, base obtuse, truncate, rounded, or cordate, margins crenate, teeth apices acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy;

basal veins extending through proximal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 5–12 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 30 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 11–20, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

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

Stamens

epipetalous.

inserted on receptacle.

Ovaries

ovules 10–16.

puberulent to villous at apex;

ovules 17–40.

Capsules

glabrous.

densely hairy.

Sepals

4.

3(or 4).

Petals

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

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

3 (abaxial petals sometimes with numerous subsidiary lobes), apex entire or erose;

corolla pink, bilabiate, tubular to ellipsoid, 2–3 mm longer than calyx, glabrous, lateral and abaxial petals of abaxial lip connate 1/2+ their lengths, abaxial and adaxial lips sometimes basally adnate slightly to stamen filaments, tube absent.

Synthyris pinnatifida

Synthyris oblongifolia

Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug; fruiting May–Oct. Flowering May–Sep; fruiting Jun–Oct.
Habitat Forest openings, subalpine meadows, alpine tundra. Alpine and subalpine meadows.
Elevation 2100–3800 m. (6900–12500 ft.) 2900–3700 m. (9500–12100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[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 oblongifolia is endemic to the Sierra Blanca Range in Lincoln and Otero counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 302. FNA vol. 17, p. 301.
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. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Veronica paysonii Besseya oblongifolia, Veronica oblongifolia
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 227, plate 22, figs. 1, 2 [ — as pinnata]. 1871 (Pennell) L. Hufford & M. McMahon: Syst. Bot. 29: 735. (2004)
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