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red besseya, red coraldrops, red kittentail or coraldrops

evergreen kittentail, Idaho 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.

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

blade broadly cordate or reniform to nearly orbiculate, 25+ mm wide, chartaceous, base cordate to lobate, margins crenate or incised-crenate, teeth apices rounded, surfaces glabrous or hairy;

basal veins extending into distal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 2–4 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 35 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 2, ovate-spatulate, largest less than 1 cm;

flowers 15–35, loosely aggregated.

Stamens

inserted on receptacle.

epipetalous.

Ovaries

ovules 17–40.

ovules 4.

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 laciniate;

corolla blue or lavender, suffused with white, ± regular, campanulate, much longer than calyx, glabrous, tube conspicuous.

Synthyris rubra

Synthyris platycarpa

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun; fruiting Apr–Jul. Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Jun–Jul.
Habitat Grasslands, open coniferous forests. Forest openings of upper Thuja-Pseudotsuga zone.
Elevation 200–1700 m. (700–5600 ft.) 500–800(–2000) m. (1600–2600(–6600) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
ID
[BONAP county 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.)

Synthyris platycarpa is known from the mountains above the Selway River and North Fork of the Clearwater River in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Clearwater and Idaho counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 304. 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. 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. plantaginea, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Gymnandra rubra, Besseya rubra, Veronica rubra Veronica idahoensis
Name authority (Douglas ex Hooker) Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 455. (1846) Gail & Pennell: Amer. J. Bot. 24: 40. (1937)
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