View source for Synthyris

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Synthyris
|accepted_authority=Bentham in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Prodr.
|place=10: 454. 1846
|year=1846
}}
|common_names=Kittentail
|basionyms=
|synonyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Besseya
|authority=Rydberg
|rank=genus
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Veronica subg. Synthyris
|authority=(Bentham) M. M. Martínez Ort., Albach & M. A. Fischer
|rank=subgenus
}}
|hierarchy=Plantaginaceae;Synthyris
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Plantaginaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Synthyris]]</div></div>
|etymology=Greek syn, together, and thyris, valve, alluding to capsule valves adhering below to the placentiferous axis
|volume=Volume 17
|mention_page=page 11, 14, 297, 305
|treatment_page=page 296
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Herbs,</b> perennial; rhizomatous. <b>Stems</b> erect when aerial, horizontal to erect when subterranean, glabrous. <b>Leaves</b> basal, helical; petiole present; blade not fleshy, leathery or not, margins with simple or compound teeth and some lobes deeply incised to pinnatifid. <b>Inflorescences</b> axillary, racemes, erect or decumbent; bracts present. <b>Pedicels</b> present; bracteoles absent. <b>Flowers</b> bisexual; sepals 2–4(or 5), basally connate, calyx bilaterally symmetric, campanulate, lobes ovate to lanceolate; corolla white, yellow, green, pink, reddish, lavender, or blue to bluish purple, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate or ± regular (unilabiate in <i>S. rubra</i>), campanulate, tubular, ellipsoid, or rudimentary, tube base not spurred or gibbous, lobes 0 or 3 or 4(or 5), abaxial 2 or 3(or 4), adaxial 1; stamens 2, epipetalous or inserted on receptacle, filaments glabrous; staminode 0; ovary 1-locular, placentation parietal centrally, axile distally and proximally; stigma capitate. <b>Fruits</b> capsules, flattened, dehiscence loculicidal and basipetal over apex. <b>Seeds</b> 2–40, brown, disc- or boat-shaped (<i>S. cordata</i>, <i>S. reniformis</i>), wings absent. × = 12.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=North America;n Mexico.
|discussion=<p>Species 19 (19 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>Plants of <i>Synthyris</i> flower in the early spring and as early as snowmelt in alpine and tundra areas, and fruits mature by mid spring. Flowers are protogynous. Species of <i>Synthyris</i> are not consistent with Darwin's pollination syndrome that associates acropetal floral maturation with protandry and upward movement of pollinators on the inflorescence; instead, insect visitors (primarily pollen foraging bees) show a weak tendency to move vertically among the protogynous flowers with both self- and cross-pollination (M. J. McCone et al. 1995).</p><!--
--><p><i>Synthyris</i> occurs in arctic and alpine tundra, grasslands, savannas, and mesophytic forests. Some species have restricted distributions, and two are of conservation concern.</p><!--
--><p><i>Synthyris</i> is part of a monophyletic Veroniceae that includes <i>Veronica</i> and allied genera. The closest relatives of <i>Synthyris</i> are uncertain and may be either clades of <i>Veronica</i> or Asian Veroniceae (Albach et al. 2004; D. C. Albach and H. M. Meudt 2010).</p><!--
--><p>Species treated as Besseya by P. A. Rydberg (1903), F. W. Pennell (1933), and C. G. Schaack (1983) are monophyletic in <i>Synthyris</i>. The bilabiate flowers and more coriaceous leaves characteristic of the besseyas are derived in <i>Synthyris</i>. Dissected leaves are convergent in <i>Synthyris</i>, evolving independently in <i>S. pinnatifida</i> and the clade consisting of <i>S. canbyi</i>, <i>S. dissecta</i>, and <i>S. lanuginosa</i>, in association with shifts into alpine and treeline environments (L. Hufford and M. McMahon 2004). <i>Synthyris cordata</i> and <i>S. reniformis</i> are low elevation species of moist forests that uniquely share decumbent infructescences, an apparent specialization for seed dispersal by ants.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Leaves strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year; leaf blade margins crenate or incised-crenate; corollas bilabiate, unilabiate (S. rubra), or absent (S. wyomingensis), longer than or as long as calyces, or corollas rudimentary or absent.
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Petals 0 or 1–4, rudimentary if present, corollas much shorter than calyces if present.
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Sepals 4, basal connation between abaxial and adaxial lobes on each side of flower; petals 1–4, rudimentary.
|[[Synthyris rubra|Synthyris rubra]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Sepals 2–4, all lobes connate, if 2+ lobes then connate for at least 1/2 of length on abaxial side; petals 0.
|[[Synthyris wyomingensis|Synthyris wyomingensis]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Petals 3 or 4(or 5), corollas nearly as long as or longer than calyces.
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Corollas blue, bluish purple, lavender, or reddish.
|[[Synthyris alpina|Synthyris alpina]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Corollas white, yellow, or pink.
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Corollas yellow.
|[[#key-0-6| > 6]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Basal veins of leaves extending into distal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 3–6 on each side of midvein; corolla tubes conspicuous; stamens epipetalous; ovaries puberulent to villous.
|[[Synthyris bullii|Synthyris bullii]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Basal veins of leaves extending through basal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 5–12 on each side of midvein; corolla tubes absent; stamens inserted on receptacles, abaxial and adaxial petal lips basally adnate to stamens; ovaries glabrous or sparsely hairy at apex.
|[[Synthyris ritteriana|Synthyris ritteriana]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Corollas pink to white.
|[[#key-0-7| > 7]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Corollas 2–3 mm longer than calyces; ovaries puberulent to villous at apex; Sierra Blanca Range, New Mexico.
|[[Synthyris oblongifolia|Synthyris oblongifolia]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Corollas 0–2 mm longer than calyces; ovaries glabrous; Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming.
|[[Synthyris plantaginea|Synthyris plantaginea]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Leaves persistent, some withering in 2d year as new leaves expand; leaf blade margins dentate, crenate, incised-crenate, laciniate, pinnately lobed, or ± palmately lobed; corollas ± regular, much longer than calyces.
|[[#key-0-8| > 8]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Racemes decumbent, sterile bracts usually 0.
|[[#key-0-9| > 9]]
|-id=key-0-9
|9
|Leaf blades ovate to ovate-cordate; corollas glabrous.
|[[Synthyris cordata|Synthyris cordata]]
|-id=key-0-9
|9
|Leaf blades cordate to reniform; corollas puberulent-villous in throat.
|[[Synthyris reniformis|Synthyris reniformis]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Racemes erect, sterile bracts 2 or 3+.
|[[#key-0-10| > 10]]
|-id=key-0-10
|10
|Petal apices laciniate.
|[[#key-0-11| > 11]]
|-id=key-0-11
|11
|Racemes ovate-spatulate, largest sterile bracts less than 1 cm; Idaho.
|[[Synthyris platycarpa|Synthyris platycarpa]]
|-id=key-0-11
|11
|Racemes fan-shaped, largest sterile bracts 2+ cm; nw Oregon, w Washington.
|[[Synthyris schizantha|Synthyris schizantha]]
|-id=key-0-10
|10
|Petal apices entire or erose.
|[[#key-0-12| > 12]]
|-id=key-0-12
|12
|Leaf blade margins laciniate, ±incised-crenate, dentate, or ± palmately lobed.
|[[#key-0-13| > 13]]
|-id=key-0-13
|13
|Capsules hairy; Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska.
|[[Synthyris borealis|Synthyris borealis]]
|-id=key-0-13
|13
|Capsules glabrous, glabrescent, or sparsely hairy; nw United States.
|[[#key-0-14| > 14]]
|-id=key-0-14
|14
|Leaf blades less than 25 mm wide; corolla tubes inconspicuous.
|[[Synthyris ranunculina|Synthyris ranunculina]]
|-id=key-0-14
|14
|Leaf blades 25+ mm wide; corolla tubes conspicuous.
|[[#key-0-15| > 15]]
|-id=key-0-15
|15
|Leaf blades ovate or cordate, margins ± incised-crenate or laciniate to ± pinnatifid, sometimes ± palmately lobed; Montana.
|[[Synthyris canbyi|Synthyris canbyi]]
|-id=key-0-15
|15
|Leaf blades orbiculate, reniform, or cordate, margins ± laciniate or ± incised-crenate to dentate, sometimes palmately lobed; California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington.
|[[#key-0-16| > 16]]
|-id=key-0-16
|16
|Leaf blade margins ± laciniate, sometimes palmately lobed or incised-crenate; Utah.
|[[Synthyris laciniata|Synthyris laciniata]]
|-id=key-0-16
|16
|Leaf blade margins ± incised-crenate to dentate; California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington.
|[[Synthyris missurica|Synthyris missurica]]
|-id=key-0-12
|12
|Leaf blade margins pinnately lobed or 1–3-pinnatifid.
|[[#key-0-17| > 17]]
|-id=key-0-17
|17
|Leaf blade surfaces canescent or tomentose.
|[[#key-0-18| > 18]]
|-id=key-0-18
|18
|Leaf blade surfaces tomentose; adaxial petals flat; ec Idaho, sw Montana.
|[[Synthyris dissecta|Synthyris dissecta]]
|-id=key-0-18
|18
|Leaf blade surfaces canescent; adaxial petals not flat; nw Washington.
|[[Synthyris lanuginosa|Synthyris lanuginosa]]
|-id=key-0-17
|17
|Leaf blade surfaces glabrous, sparsely hairy, puberulous, or villous.
|[[#key-0-19| > 19]]
|-id=key-0-19
|19
|Capsules hairy.
|[[#key-0-20| > 20]]
|-id=key-0-20
|20
|Ovaries sparsely hairy at apices; flowers 10–50; Montana.
|[[Synthyris canbyi|Synthyris canbyi]]
|-id=key-0-20
|20
|Ovaries pilose to tomentose; flowers 10–30; ec Idaho, Montana.
|[[Synthyris dissecta|Synthyris dissecta]]
|-id=key-0-19
|19
|Capsules glabrous.
|[[#key-0-21| > 21]]
|-id=key-0-21
|21
|Leaf blade margins ± pinnatifid, teeth apices obtuse to rounded, surfaces sparsely hairy; Montana.
|[[Synthyris canbyi|Synthyris canbyi]]
|-id=key-0-21
|21
|Leaf blade margins 1- or 2-pinnatifd, teeth apices obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous or villous; Idaho, Utah, Wyoming.
|[[Synthyris pinnatifida|Synthyris pinnatifida]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Synthyris
|author=Larry D. Hufford
|authority=Bentham in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=Besseya;Veronica subg. Synthyris
|basionyms=
|family=Plantaginaceae
|distribution=North America;n Mexico.
|reference=None
|publication title=Prodr.
|publication year=1846
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/eaa6e58056e40c9ef614d8f47aea294977a1a5e9/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V17/V17_717.xml
|genus=Synthyris
}}<!--

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