Chylismia claviformis subsp. aurantiaca
Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 206. 2007.
Illustrator:
Copyright:
Herbs strigillose, especially proximally, sometimes glabrate distally. Stems 5–50 cm. Leaves: blade sometimes purple-dotted, lateral lobes irregular, well developed, terminal lobe narrowly ovate, to 3 × 1.5 cm, margins irregularly sinuate-dentate. Flowers opening at sunset; buds usually without free tips, rarely with apical free tips less than 1 mm; floral tube orange-brown inside, 3–5 mm; petals white, rarely purple-dotted at base, often fading purple, rarely orange, 2.5–8 mm. 2n = 14.
Phenology: Flowering (Dec–)Feb–Jun.
Habitat: Sandy flats, washes, with Ambrosia dumosa, Fouquieria splendens, and Larrea.
Elevation: -70–1100 m.
Distribution
Ariz., Calif., Nev., Mexico (Baja California).
Discussion
Subspecies aurantiaca is known from Lincoln County, Nevada, south through southeastern California to northeasternmost Baja California, and in Arizona only in westernmost Mohave and Yuma counties. It intergrades extensively with subspp. peirsonii and yumae, and those with white petals (subspp. claviformis, funerea, integrior, and peeblesii); it sometimes hybridizes with Chylismia brevipes subspp. brevipes and pallidula, and with C. munzii.
The name Oenothera scapoidea var. aurantiaca S. Watson is superfluous because Watson included O. claviformis Torrey & Frémont as a synonym, which is the basionym of O. scapoidea var. claviformis (Torrey & Frémont) S. Watson. Likewise, Chylismia scapoidea (Torrey & A. Gray) Nuttall ex Raimann var. aurantiaca Davidson & Moxley is also an illegitimate name that pertains here.
Selected References
None.