Jensia

Annuals, 5–60 cm (self-incompatible). Stems erect. Leaves mostly cauline; proximal opposite (often crowded), distal alternate; sessile; blades spatulate to linear, margins entire or toothed, faces hirsute to strigose (distal leaves sometimes stipitate-glandular as well). Heads radiate, in ± umbelliform arrays. Peduncular bracts: pit-glands, tack-glands, and/or spines 0. Involucres ± obconic or urceolate to globose, 3–5 mm diam. Phyllaries 2–12 in 1 series (lanceolate to lance-attenuate, herbaceous, each usually wholly enveloping a ray ovary, abaxially hirsute, hair tips ± uncinate). Receptacles flat to convex, glabrous or setulose, paleate (paleae falling, in 1 series between rays and discs, connate, herbaceous to ± scarious). Ray florets 2–12, pistillate, fertile; corollas yellow, sometimes purple-veined abaxially. Disc florets 1–65, functionally staminate; corollas yellow, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes 5, deltate (anthers ± dark purple; styles glabrous proximal to branches). Ray cypselae compressed, clavate, arcuate, basal attachments oblique, faces glabrous, apices beaked. Ray pappi crowns of scales (0.1–1 mm); disc pappi of 5–7 (white or purple-tipped) subulate, crisped, ciliolate scales (2.5–3 mm). x = 8.

Distribution

Calif.

Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

Recognition of Jensia is based on evidence that Madia in the sense of D. D. Keck (1959) is not monophyletic; the epappose annuals constituting Madia in the restricted sense are more closely related to Carlquistia than to Jensia (B. G. Baldwin 1996).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Jensia rammii, Jensia yosemitana

Key

1	Plants 6–60 cm; involucres urceolate or globose; ray florets 5–12, laminae 4–10 mm; discflorets 16–65	Jensia rammii
1	Plants 5–25 cm; involucres broadly obconic; ray florets 2–8, laminae 0.5–3 mm; disc florets1–7	Jensia yosemitana