Adolphia californica

S. Watson

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 126. 1876.

Common names: California prickbush or adolphia spineshrub
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 109.

Shrubs, 0.5–1.5 m, secondary branches and branchlets glabrous or glabrate, branchlets 1–1.5 mm diam. Leaves: blade elliptic-oblong to obovate, 3–12 mm, margins entire, surfaces puberulent; 1-veined or vaguely 3-veined from base. Pedicels 3–6 mm. Flowers: hypanthium broadly obconic, 2.5–3 mm wide, sides nearly straight; sepals triangular-deltate, length equaling width, margins straight; petals 2–2.5 mm, deeply hooded.


Phenology: Flowering Dec–Apr(–May).
Habitat: Rocky slopes, dry canyons and washes, fields, roadsides, arroyos and hillsides near seeps, streambeds, chaparral, coastal sage scrub.
Elevation: 10–200 m.

Distribution

V12 566-distribution-map.jpg

Calif., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

R. D. Tortosa (1993) treated Adolphia californica as a synonym of A. infesta, although within the single broadly conceived species he recognized a Texas form and California form, these differing in shape and size of leaves, insertion of staminal filaments, size of the hypanthia, and features of leaf anatomy (according to A. Mantese and D. Medan 1993). He did not find a geographic zone of intergradation but noted that some plants from Zacatecas appear intermediate in floral features and that one collection from southern Mexico was the California type in leaf anatomy and one from Baja California was the Texas type.

F. Shreve and I. L. Wiggins (1964) noted contrasts (as emphasized in the key here) between the two taxa, which they treated as separate species. In addition to the morphological differences, the two are allopatric and appear to be ecologically differentiated. Adolphia californica is known in the flora area only from San Diego County.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"equaling" is not a number.

... more about "Adolphia californica"
perigynous +  and epigynous +
Guy L. Nesom +
S. Watson +
not gland-dotted +
3[-5]-veined +  and pinnate +
spinulose +, spinose +, serrate +  and entire +
denticulate +, dentate +, crenulate +, crenate +  and serrulate +
elliptic-oblong;obovate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
California prickbush or adolphia +  and spineshrub +
Calif. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
10–200 m. +
Rocky slopes, dry canyons and washes, fields, roadsides, arroyos and hillsides near seeps, streambeds, chaparral, coastal sage scrub. +
free +  and adnate +
terminal +  and axillary +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
3-veined +  and 1-veined +
subopposite +  and opposite +
deciduous +
intrastaminal +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
not fleshy +
perigynous +  and epigynous +
adnate +  and distinct +
clawed +  and spatulate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
Flowering Dec–Apr(–May). +
2-4-carpellate +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
glabrate +  and glabrous +
glabrate +  and glabrous +
whitish +  and greenish white +
distinct +
triangular-deltate +
straight +
Adolphia californica +
Adolphia +
species +
deciduous +  and evergreen +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and synoecious +