Herbs short-lived perennial, sometimes woody at base, usually densely strigillose throughout, rarely glabrous, also villous distally. Stems prostrate, decumbent, or ascending from base, to 60 (–130) cm. Leaves 0.5–5 × 0.3–2.2 cm; petiole 0–1.5 (–2.5) cm, distal ones to 1 cm; blade narrowly ovate, base attenuate, cuneate, or cordate, margins sparsely serrulate, apex acute. Flow­ers opening near sunrise; floral-tube 2.1–8.5 mm; sepals 4–11.5 mm; petals yellow, often red-dotted near base, 6–20 mm; episepalous filaments 2.8–8 mm, epipetalous filaments 1.5–6 mm, anthers 1–3 mm, less than 5% of pollen-grains 4-pored or 5-pored; style 6–23 mm, stigma surrounded by or exserted beyond anthers at anthesis. Capsules often coiled in 1–2 spirals, 4-angled, 10–25 × 2–2.5 mm. Seeds 1.2–1.3 mm.

Distribution

w United States, nw Mexico

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia occurs on slopes and dunes along the immediate coast and on islands from Coos Bay, Curry County, Oregon, to the vicinity of San Quintín, Baja California; it is also known from the east shore of San Francisco Bay and locally on sand dunes along the lower Sacramento River, California, 0–100 m. P. H. Raven (1969) determined C. cheiranthifolia to be self-incompatible (some populations in subsp. suffruticosa) or self-compatible (both subspecies) and apparently pollinated by oligolectic bees of Andrena subg. Onagrandrena (Raven); Raven subdivided the species into two intergrading subspecies.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia subsp. cheiranthifolia, Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia subsp. suffruticosa

Key

1	Plants primarily herbaceous; petals 6–11 mm; style 6–9 mm; stigma usually surrounded by anthers.	Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia subsp. cheiranthifolia
1	Plants woody at base; petals (10–)12–20 mm; style 13–23 mm; stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.	Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia subsp. suffruticosa