Cryptantha spiculifera (Piper) Payson synonym: Cryptantha ...
Cryptantha spiculifera (Piper) Payson synonym: Cryptantha interrupta (Greene) Payson
(mis a p p lie d ) Snake River cryptantha Boraginaceae - borage family status: State Sensitive, BLM sensitive
rank: G4? / S2?
General Description: A dapted from C ronquis t et al. (1 9 7 2 - 9 4 ): P erennial from a taproot and us ually a branc hing c audex, with 1 to many erec t s tems , (0 .5 ) 1 .5 - 4 dm tall. H erbage gray- hairy, typic ally s hort and moderately s preading- bris tly (but hairs s ometimes appres s ed). L eaves hairy on both s ides with fine, s traight hairs ; lower s ide with s ome longer, c oars e, pus tulate-bas ed bris tles that are appres s ed to loos e and s preading. P etioles often c ons pic uous ly bris tly- c iliate. B as al leaves dens ely tufted, narrowly to broadly oblanc eolate, 2 - 6 c m x 2 - 1 0 mm. Stem leaves gradually reduc ed upwards .
Floral Characterist ics: I nflores c enc e bris tly and s oft- hairy, at firs t c ylindric , opening in age. C alyx s egments 4 - 5 mm long when flowering, 6 - 1 0 mm in fruit. C orolla white with s mall yellow c res ts in the throat, the tube equaling or s horter than the c alyx; limb flat, s preading, 4 - 8 mm wi d e .
Fruits: 1 - 4 mature nutlets , lanc eolate or lanc e- ovate, 2 .5 - 4 mm long, roughened on both s ides , typic ally both wrinkled and tuberc ulate; s c ar elongate, c los ed or narrowly open, its margins not elevated. Style s urpas s ing nutlets by 1 .1 - 2 .5 (2 .7 ) mm. Rec ognizable M ay to July.
Identif ication Tips: H itc hc oc k & C ronquis t (1 9 7 3 ) lis t C. s piculifera as a s ynonym for Cryptantha interrupta, but they are now c ons idered dis tinc t. C. interrupta has a s horter s tyle, s urpas s ing the nutlets by only 0 .2 - 1 mm. C. celos ioides is s imilar but dis tinguis hed by its wider bas al leaves (4 - 1 5 mm) with blunter tips , and larger c orolla limbs (8 - 1 2 mm). I n dried s pec imens of C. s piculifera, the c alyx has white bris tles and hairs , vers us golden- yellow bris tles and hairs of C. celos oiodes .
Range: C entral WA , eas tern O R, northeas tern C A , northern N V , I D , U T , WY , and wes tern M T .
Habitat/Ecology: D ry, open, flat, or s loping areas in s table or s tony s oils , with low vegetative c over. E levations in WA : 1 4 0 - 1 0 5 0 m (4 5 0 - 3 5 0 0 ft). A s s oc iated s pec ies inc lude s tiff s agebrus h (Artemis ia rigida), big s agebrus h (Artemis ia tridentata), gray rabbitbrus h (Ericameria naus eos a), roc k buc kwheat (Eriogonum s phaerocephalum), purple s age (Salvia dorrii), and s ilky lupine (Lupinus s ericeus ).
Comments: T his s pec ies is als o rare in M T , U T , and WY .
Ref erences: C ronquis t et al. 1 9 7 2 - 9 4 , vol. 4 ; H iggins 1 9 7 1 .
Adapted from Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Washington
Illustration by Jeanne R. Janish, ?1959 University of Washington
Press
photo by Reid Schuller
photo by Reid Schuller
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.