Bensoniella

C. V. Morton

Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 181. 1965 ,.

Etymology: For Gilbert Thereon Benson, 1896–1928, Stanford University botanist
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 83. Mentioned on page 43, 44, 47, 84.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA8 P9 Tellima grandiflora.jpegTellima
Tellima grandiflora
Lithophragma
Lithophragma parviflorum
Bensoniella
Bensoniella oregona
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, not rhizomatous, not stoloniferous; caudex slender, scaly. Flowering-stems erect or ascending, leafless, 19–45 cm, stipitate-glandular. Leaves in basal rosette; stipules present; petiole long-stipitate-glandular; blade orbiculate to cordate, 5–9-lobed, sinuses relatively shallow, base cordate, ultimate margins unevenly crenate, apex rounded, surfaces long-stipitate-glandular along veins abaxially, sparsely long-stipitate-glandular adaxially; venation palmate. Inflorescences spikelike racemes, from axillary buds of basal rosette, 15–30-flowered, ebracteate. Flowers slightly bilaterally symmetric, base gibbous on abaxial side; hypanthium 1/3 adnate to ovary proximally, free from ovary 0.5–0.8 mm, yellowish white to green; sepals 5, yellowish white to green; petals absent or 5, purple or pink; nectary tissue not seen or inconspicuous; stamens 5, opposite sepals; filaments filiform; ovary 1/3 inferior, 1-locular; placentation parietal; styles 2; stigmas 2. Capsules 2-beaked. Seeds dark-brown, oblong to ellipsoid, smooth. x = 7.

Distribution

w United States

Discussion

Bensonia Abrams & Bacigalupi, Contr. Dudley Herb. 1: 95, plate 5, fig. 1. 1929, not Buckman 1845 (fossil)

Species 1: w United States.

Although the floral morphology of Bensoniella is quite distinctive, vegetative similarities suggest a connection with the otherwise equally distinctive genus Mitella. Molecular data (D. E. Soltis et al. 1990), as well as karyotype analysis (Soltis 1988), clearly show a close relationship between the genera.

Species 1

Selected References

None.

"full" is not a number.

... more about "Bensoniella"
epigynous +, perigynous +  and hypogynous +
rounded +
Elizabeth Fortson Wells +  and Patrick E. Elvander† +
C. V. Morton +
gibbous +  and cordate +
dentate +, serrate +  and entire +
glandular-ciliate +  and ciliate +
5-9-lobed +, orbiculate +  and cordate +
3-carpellate +  and 2-carpellate +
slender +
ebracteate +, bracteate +  and 2-300(-1000+)-flowered +
w United States +
For Gilbert Thereon Benson, 1896–1928, Stanford University botanist +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
19 cm190 mm <br />0.19 m <br /> (45 cm450 mm <br />0.45 m <br />) +
2-3(-4)-beaked +  and folliclelike +
multicellular +
yellowish white +  and green +
free +  and adnate +
ebracteate +  and 15-30-flowered +
opposite +  and alternate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
crassinucellate +, unitegmic +  and bitegmic +
epigynous +, perigynous +  and hypogynous +
pink +  and purple +
distinct +
unlobed +  and lobed +
peltate +  and jointed +
long-stipitate-glandular +
unequal +
Leafl. W. Bot. +
spikelike +
spiny +  and ribbed +
dark-brown +
straight +
muricate +, cellular-rugulose +, tuberculate +, pitted +, papillate +  and wrinkled +
oblong +  and ellipsoid +
yellowish white +  and green +
distinct +
unbranched +  and branched +
persistent +
horizontal +  and erect +
connate +  and distinct +
long-stipitate-glandular +
Bensoniella +
Saxifragaceae +
not stoloniferous +  and not rhizomatous +
annual +, biennial +  and perennial +