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Photo is of parent taxon

Arizona rosewood

Photo is of parent taxon

Sonora rosewood

Young stems

initially tomentulose, becoming canescent or tardily glabrate.

densely white-tomentulose, becoming canescent.

Leaves

petiole (4–)7–15(–26) mm;

blade bicolor, abaxially white, adaxially green and lustrous, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, (3.5–)4–9(–15) × (0.7–)1–2(–3.2) cm, surfaces initially villous-tomentulose, abaxially usually sparsely white-puberulent, hairs slightly coiled, sometimes glabrate or glabrous, adaxially mostly glabrate or glabrous.

petiole (4–)6–16(–22) mm;

blade bicolor, abaxially white, adaxially green and nonlustrous, linear to linear-lanceolate, (2.5–)5–11(–15) × (0.6–)0.7–1.2(–1.4) cm, surfaces villous-tomentulose, soon or tardily glabrescent except for hairy midveins.

Flowers

hypanthium 2–2.5(–3) × 2–3.7(–4.5) mm, exterior tomentulose or tardily glabrate, interior glabrous;

sepals 1.4–2.1 × 1.5–2.3 mm, puberulent-villous;

petals 4–5 × 2.5–3.5 mm;

filaments 3–5.5 mm.

hypanthium 2–2.5 × 3–3.5 mm, exterior white villous-tomentulose, interior glabrous except at base;

sepals 1.3–1.8 × 1.6–2 mm, villous-tomentulose;

petals 4–5 × 2.4–3 mm;

filaments 3–5 mm.

Capsules

5–6.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm.

5–6 × 3.5–4 mm.

Seeds

4–5 × 1.2–1.3 mm.

3.5–4 × 0.9–1.2 mm.

Corymbs

3–5(–12) × 3–8(–13) cm.

1.5–4.5 × 2–6.5 cm, villous to tomentulose.

2n

= 30.

Vauquelinia californica subsp. californica

Vauquelinia californica subsp. sonorensis

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Limestone and granite substrates, shrublands of upper Sonoran Desert from above desert plains to lower pinyon-juniper zones Canyon margins and hillsides of the Sonoran Desert
Elevation 700–1800 m (2300–5900 ft) 700–1500 m (2300–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies californica shows considerable variation among populations, particularly with regard to vestiture, leaf size and shape, petiole length, and number of marginal teeth. Often populations within the same mountain ranges in Arizona share the same pattern of variation. Most of the populations have distinctly bicolor leaves, at least when young, or abaxially become weakly puberulent and persistently, closely tomentulose to canescent with tightly coiled hairs.

The name Vauquelinia torreyi S. Watson, which is illegitimate, pertains here.

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

Subspecies sonorensis is known from the Ajo Mountains in Pima County. Some plants from the Baboquivari Mountains of Pima County have somewhat similar narrow leaves but lack the dense vestiture on stems, inflorescences, and abaxial leaf surfaces.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 430. FNA vol. 9, p. 431.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Vauquelinia > Vauquelinia californica Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Vauquelinia > Vauquelinia californica
Sibling taxa
V. californica subsp. pauciflora, V. californica subsp. sonorensis
V. californica subsp. californica, V. californica subsp. pauciflora
Name authority unknown W. J. Hess & Henrickson: Sida 12: 130, figs. 11a–c. (1987)
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