Castilleja densiflora var. gracilis

(Bentham) J. M. Egger

Phytologia 90: 68. 2008.

Basionym: Orthocarpus gracilis Bentham Scroph. Ind., 12. 1835
Synonyms: Castilleja densiflora subsp. gracilis (Bentham) T. I. Chuang & Heckard O. densiflorus var. gracilis (Bentham) D. D. Keck
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 602. Mentioned on page 603.

Herbs 1–3.2 dm. Stems: hairs spreading, short and medium length, soft. Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1.5–9 cm, (0–) 3–5-lobed. Inflorescences 1–13 cm; bracts distally pink to pink-purple or reddish purple on apices, rarely white, if white, sometimes aging pink to deep red. Calyces 5–11 mm; abaxial and adaxial clefts 4.7–10 mm, 90% of calyx length, all 4 clefts subequal, lateral 3–6 mm, 50% of calyx length. Corollas 17–20 mm; beak adaxially pink or purple, sometimes white; abaxial lip base white or pink to deep purple, expanded lip white with purple spots or purple proximally, white distally, sometimes all white, sometimes with distal yellow band and/or deep purple spots, deeply 3-lobed, appearing moderately inflated, lobes ± abrupt, deeper than long, 4–5 mm.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May(–Jun).
Habitat: Grasslands, chaparral, savannas, stream or pool margins.
Elevation: 0–1600 m.

Distribution

Calif., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

Variety gracilis usually has a pink to purple inflorescence, although rare individuals in a population may be white. It has a shorter calyx than var. densiflora and therefore a more exserted corolla, and also differs in the more divergent angle of the abaxial lip, so that the pouches of the abaxial lip are as deep as they are long. Although var. gracilis occurs sporadically within the range of var. densiflora, it is much more common in the southern portion of the range of the species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
0.47 cm4.7 mm <br />0.0047 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
pink +  and deep purple +
acute;acuminate +
acute +  and acuminate +
J. Mark Egger +, Peter F. Zika +, Barbara L. Wilson +, Richard E. Brainerd +  and Nick Otting +
(Bentham) J. M. Egger +
Orthocarpus gracilis +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
White (?) +, Purple (?) +  and Pink (?) +
straight +
puberulent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
not +, leathery +  and fleshy +
pink;deep red +
3-5-lobed +  and lanceolate +
slightly deeper +
0.47 cm4.7 mm <br />0.0047 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
2-lobed +, lobed +  and tubular +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
taprooted;fibrous-rooted or rhizomatous +
fleshy +  and woody +
subequal +
subequal +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
purple +, pink +, red +, orange +, yellow +, white +, green +  and pale greenish +
divided +  and tubular +
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
white +, purple spots +  and yellow +
Calif. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
0–1600 m. +
2 +  and 1 +
indehiscent +, septicidal +, loculicidal +  and dehiscence +
Grasslands, chaparral, savannas, stream or pool margins. +
stipitate-glandular +
short to long +
16 cm160 mm <br />0.16 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (16 cm160 mm <br />0.16 m <br />) +
axillary +  and terminal +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
spiral +, whorled +, alternate +  and opposite +
pale green +
deciduous +
basal +  and cauline +
(0-)3-5-lobed;linear;narrowly lanceolate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
not fleshy +
purple spots +  and white +
deeper than long +
abrupt +  and 3-lobed +
expanded +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
arising +  and ascending +
inflated +
subequal +
(0-)3-5-lobed +, involute +, flat +  and plane +
short-stipitate-glandular +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
campylotropous-like +
blotches +, maroon spots +, yellow +, white +, green becoming light pink +  and purple +
inflated +
expanded +
Flowering Mar–May(–Jun). +
deeper than tall +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
stramineous +
20 +  and 100 +
trapezoidal +, oblong-ovoid +, pyramidal +  and ovoid +
non-secund +  and secund +
elongate +
subequal +
unbranched +  and branched +
sprawling +  and prostrate +
aerial +  and subterranean +
pubescent +, glabrate +  and glabrous +
not fleshy +
2-lobed +  and entire +
Castilleja densiflora subsp. gracilis +  and O. densiflorus var. gracilis +
Castilleja densiflora var. gracilis +
Castilleja densiflora +
variety +
purple spot +, purple +, chartreuse +, white +  and pink +
reduced +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
expanded +