Illustrator: Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Herbs, achlorophyllous, heterotrophic. Stems absent. Leaves absent. Inflorescences racemes or cymes, erect at emergence from soil, axis fleshy but not fibrous, usually not persistent after seed dispersal, yellowish to cream, 0.5–2 cm diam. proximal to proximalmost flower. Pedicels erect, elongate in fruit; bracteoles absent. Flowers radially symmetric, erect; sepals 4(–5), distinct, lateral pair clasping corolla, canoe-shaped, other pair appressed to corolla, flattened; petals 4(–5), distinct, yellowish to cream, without basal tubercles, (abaxial surfaces glabrate, adaxial surfaces densely hairy), corolla tubular-campanulate; intrastaminal nectary disc present; stamens 8, included; filaments ± uniformly slender, pubescent; anthers horseshoe-shaped, without awns, without tubules, dehiscent by 1 slit; pistil (4–)5-carpellate; ovary 1-locular; placentation intruded-parietal; style straight, stout; stigma umbilicate, subtended by ring of crowded hairs. Fruits baccate, erect, (fleshy), indehiscent, (axis fleshy). Seeds 25–100, ovoid, not winged.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Species 1: w United States.

Species 1

Selected References

Copeland, H. F. 1935. On the genus Pityopus. Madroño 3: 154–168.

Lower Taxa

Pityopus californicus