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round-leaf kittentail, snow queen

Ritters' kittentail

Leaves

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

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

basal veins 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

decumbent, to 18 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts usually 0;

flowers 5–10, 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 4.

glabrous or sparsely hairy at apex;

ovules 17–40.

Capsules

sparsely hairy.

glabrous.

Sepals

4.

4.

Petals

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

corolla blue, ± regular, campanulate, much longer than calyx, puberulent-villous in throat, 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 reniformis

Synthyris ritteriana

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun; fruiting Apr–Aug. Flowering May–Aug; fruiting Jun–Oct.
Habitat Forests. Moist subalpine or alpine meadows.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 2100–3800 m. (6900–12500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO
Discussion

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. 303. 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. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, 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 Wulfenia reniformis, Veronica regina-nivalis Besseya ritteriana, Veronica ritteriana
Name authority (Douglas ex Bentham) Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 454. (1846) Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 1: 123, plate 9, fig. 2. (1898)
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