Rhinotropis californica

Herbs, sometimes suffrutescent, multi-stemmed, often forming a ground cover, 0.5–3.5 dm. Stems laxly erect, decumbent, or prostrate, pubescent to subglabrous, hairs incurved. Leaves sessile or subsessile; blade ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 7–50(–60) × 3–20(–26) mm, base usually rounded to acute, sometimes cuneate, apex rounded to acute, surfaces pubescent, hairs incurved. Racemes terminal or leaf-opposed, 1–4(–5) × 1.8–3 cm; rachis not thorn-tipped; peduncle 0–1 cm; bracts early deciduous, linear to lanceolate. Pedicels (2.5–)3.5–8.5 mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous. Cleistogamous or semi-cleistogamous flowers often present terminally, on much reduced scale-leaved lateral branches from proximal (or distal) leaf axils, or terminally on leafy branches that are often leaf-opposed. Flowers usually pink, rarely white, keel distally yellow (fading white), (2.5–)9–14.5 mm, cleistogamous and semi-cleistogamous flowers mostly 2.5–5 mm, intergrading with chasmogamous flowers; sepals deciduous, elliptic, 4–6.5 mm, pubescent or glabrous; wings obovate, (7.5–)8–12 × 2.5–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; keel (7–)8–11 mm, sac glabrous (sometimes proximally ciliate), beak oblong, (1.2–)1.6–3 × 0.7–1 mm (mostly absent in cleistogamous flowers), usually notched or contorted abaxially, rarely subentire, pubescent. Capsules ellipsoid to ovoid, 7.3–10.5 × 4.5–7 mm, in cleistogamous and semi-cleistogamous flowers 4.5–8 mm, base obtuse, rounded, or subtruncate, margins with narrow, entire or slightly erose wing, glabrous, margins sometimes ciliolate. Seeds 3.5–6 mm, densely pubescent; aril 1.7–4 mm, less than 1/2 length of seed. 2n = 18.

Phenology: Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat: Rocky or clay soils, deep duff, rich soils, serpentine soils, slopes or drainages, full sun to deep shade, open habitat, chaparral, mixed evergreen forests, oak woodlands, coniferous forests.
Elevation: 10–1400 m.

Calif., Oreg.

Discussion

Rhinotropis californica occurs in western California and Oregon.

Cleistogamous and semi-cleistogamous flowers can appear earlier than chasmogamous flowers. Their flowers, fruits, and seeds are similar to those of chasmogamous flowers, but typically are smaller and without the keel beak.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa