Veratrum californicum var. californicum

IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Veratrum eschscholtzii var. watsonii Veratrum jonesii A. Heller Veratrum speciosum Rydberg Veratrum tenuipetalum A. Heller
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 76.

Panicle usually branched nearly to tip, ± loosely flowered; bracts in unbranched portion ovate-elliptic, mostly less than 1 cm, shorter than flowers. Tepals elliptic to oblong-ovate, 8–15 mm. 2n = 32.


Phenology: Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat: Moist to wet, marshy sites
Elevation: 1000–3500 m

Distribution

V26 60-distribution-map.jpg

Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Smaller-flowered plants from Colorado and New Mexico have been called Veratrum tenuipetalum; except for flower size, which is at the lower end of the species range, these plants are congruent with V. californicum var. californicum.

N. Chiariello et al. (1980), using the snow-bank-emergent characteristics of Veratrum californicum, documented that the plants differing in open versus closed bud morphologies also have different leaf areas, internal temperatures, and rates of early expansion growth. These differences in life-history characteristics are inferentially similar to those of other alpine and northern Veratrum species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Dale W. McNeal Jr. +  and Aaron D. Shaw +
Durand +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
1000–3500 m +
Moist to wet, marshy sites +
Flowering summer–early fall. +
J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, ser. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Veratrum eschscholtzii var. watsonii +, Veratrum jonesii +, Veratrum speciosum +  and Veratrum tenuipetalum +
Veratrum californicum var. californicum +
Veratrum californicum +
variety +