Camissoniopsis confusa

Herbs annual, densely villous, often also strigillose, at least sparsely villous and glandular puberulent on stems distally and on inflorescences. Stems erect, with multiple branches, rarely with 1 stem, to 70 cm. Leaves 1–6 × 0.4–2 cm; petiole 0–3 cm, distal ones sessile; blade lanceolate or narrowly ovate, base round or truncate, margins sparsely denticulate, apex long-acuminate. Flowers opening near sunrise; floral tube (1.8–)2–3.8 mm; sepals (1.5–)3.2–8.5 mm; petals yellow, usually with 1 or 2 red dots basally, (2.5–)5–10.5 mm; episepalous filaments (1.2–)2.5–4.5 mm, epipetalous filaments (0.8–)1.5–2.5 mm, anthers (0.4–)0.8–1.5 mm, less than 5% of pollen grains 4- or 5-pored; style (2.5–)4.5–7.5 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis. Capsules straight or 1–2-coiled spiral, subterete in living material, 4-angled when dry, 13–23 × 0.9–1.2 mm. Seeds 0.7–1.1 mm. 2n = 14.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat: Dry inland slopes, chaparral.
Elevation: 300–2000 m.

Ariz., Calif.

Discussion

Camissoniopsis confusa occurs in California from the La Panza Range of central San Luis Obispo County south through the Coast Ranges to the San Bernardino Mountains and southern San Diego County; also in central Arizona (westernmost Gila, Maricopa, and northern Pinal counties). P. H. Raven (1969) determined C. confusa to be self-compatible and primarily autogamous. The species apparently is a tetraploid derived via hybridization between two diploid (2n = 14) species, C. hirtella and C. pallida.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa