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red besseya, red coraldrops, red kittentail or coraldrops

foothills kittentail, White River kittentails

Leaves

strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year;

blade oblong-ovate to ovate, 25+ mm wide, leathery, base cuneate, truncate, or rounded to lobate, sometimes cordate, margins crenate, teeth apices acute to rounded, surfaces sparsely hairy;

basal veins extending into distal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 3–6 on each side of midvein.

strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year;

blade narrowly to broadly ovate, 25+ mm wide, leathery, base obtuse to rounded or lobate, margins crenate, teeth apices acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely hairy to villous;

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

Racemes

erect, to 45 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 10–30, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

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

erect, to 40 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 9–31, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

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

Stamens

inserted on receptacle.

inserted on receptacle.

Ovaries

ovules 17–40.

glabrous;

ovules 17–40.

Capsules

densely hairy.

glabrous.

Sepals

4, basal connation between abaxial and adaxial lobes on each side of flower.

4.

Petals

1–4, apex entire or erose;

corolla reddish, bluish purple, green, or white, bilabiate or unilabiate, rudimentary, much shorter than calyx, glabrous, lateral and abaxial petals of abaxial lip connate 1/2+ their lengths, abaxial and adaxial petal lips basally adnate to stamens, tube absent.

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

corolla pink to white, bilabiate, ellipsoid, 0–2 mm longer than calyx, glabrous or sparsely hairy, lateral and abaxial petals of abaxial lip connate 1/2+ their lengths, tube absent.

Synthyris rubra

Synthyris plantaginea

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun; fruiting Apr–Jul. Flowering May–Jun; fruiting May–Aug.
Habitat Grasslands, open coniferous forests. Montane to subalpine meadows, open, montane, conifer forests.
Elevation 200–1700 m. (700–5600 ft.) 1800–3400 m. (5900–11200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Natural hybrids of Synthyris missurica and S. rubra occur near Kamiah, Idaho (A. R. Kruckeberg and F. L. Hedglin 1963).

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

Both diploid (2n = 24) and tetraploid (2n = 48; described as Besseya gooddingii Pennell) populations have been discovered among southern populations of Synthyris plantaginea in Arizona (C. G. Schaack 1983). Synthyris plantaginea is a host for the checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia), which sequesters iridoid glycosides as it consumes the leaves (K. M. L’Empereur and F. R. Stermitz 1990).

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 304. FNA vol. 17, p. 302.
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. reniformis, S. ritteriana, 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. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Gymnandra rubra, Besseya rubra, Veronica rubra Veronica plantaginea, Besseya plantaginea
Name authority (Douglas ex Hooker) Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 455. (1846) (E. James) Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 455. (1846)
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