Smelowskia americana

Rydberg

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 239. 1902.

Synonyms: Hutchinsia calycina var. americana Regel & Herder Smelowskia calycina var. americana (Regel & Herder) W. H. Drury & Rollins Smelowskia lineariloba Rydberg Smelowskia lobata Rydberg
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 7. Treatment on page 672. Mentioned on page 673, 674.

Plants sometimes canescent basally; caudex branched. Stems: several from base, often unbranched, (0.4–) 0.6–2 (–2.7) dm, trichomes simple, 0.5–1.3 mm, mixed with smaller, dendritic ones. Basal leaves: petiole 1–5 (–8) cm, ciliate, trichomes simple; blade oblanceolate to obovate, or ovate to oblong in outline, (terminal segments linear, oblong, or ovate), (0.5–) 1–3.5 (–5.2) cm × 4–17 mm, (terminal segments 0.2–1.4 cm × 0.5–4 mm), margins 1-pinnatifid or 2-pinnatifid or pinnatisect, apex obtuse or subacute. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate or sessile; blade similar to basal, smaller distally. Racemes elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels suberect to ascending, (subappressed to rachis, often forming less than 40˚ angle), proximalmost bracteate, 4–10 (–14) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple (to 1.5 mm), mixed with smaller, dendritic ones. Flowers: sepals 2–3.5 mm; petals usually white, rarely pinkish or lavender, suborbicular to obovate, 3.5–6.5 × 1.5–3.5mm, narrowed to claw, 1.5–3 mm, apex rounded; anthers oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm. Fruits usually suberect, rarely ascending, ellipsoid or oblong to linear, 4-angled, 5–13 × 1.5–2 mm, base and apex cuneate; valves each with prominent midvein; ovules 8–12 (–14) per ovary; style 0.2–0.8 mm. Seeds 1.1–1.9 × 0.6–0.9 mm. 2n = 12, 22.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Talus and scree slopes, rock crevices, tundra, alpine meadows, fellfields
Elevation: 2900-4000 m

Distribution

V7 1153-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Both R. C. Rollins (1993) and N. H. Holmgren (2005b) listed 2n = 44 for Smelowskia americana (as S. calycina var. americana), but no such number is known for any species of the genus (S. I. Warwick and I. A. Al-Shehbaz 2006). It is most likely that the first two authors erred in reporting 2n = 22 for the species. The latter count is likely to represent a dysploid reduction of tetraploid populations based on x = 6.

Previous North American authors (e.g., W. H. Drury Jr. and R. C. Rollins 1952; Rollins 1993; N. H. Holmgren 2005b) believed that the central Asian Smelowskia calycina and the North American plants also attributed to it are conspecific. S. I. Warwick et al. (2004b) clearly demonstrated that they are different species. The North American plants, S. americana, are easily distinguished from S. calycina by having readily caducous instead of persistent calyces. As recognized by Rollins (1993), the North American S. calycina represented three distinct taxa (S. americana, S. media, S. porsildii) none of which belongs to that species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"elongated" is not a number."thick" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Smelowskia americana"
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
cuneate +, rounded +, subacute +  and obtuse +
Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz +
Rydberg +
cuneate +
appendaged +  and unappendaged +
not auriculate +
entire +, 2-pinnatisect +  and 1-pinnatisect +
dissected +, repand +, sinuate +, crenate +  and dentate +
oblanceolate;obovate or ovate +
smaller +
urceolate +, campanulate +  and tubular +
well-developed +
sessile +  and petiolate +
well-developed +
distinct +
differentiated +
emarginate +  and entire +
accumbent +  and incumbent +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
2900-4000 m +
straight +  and curved +
not winged +  and unappendaged +
connate +  and distinct +
actinomorphic +
stipitate +  and sessile +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
ascending +  and suberect +
4-angled +, oblong +  and linear +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Talus and scree slopes, rock crevices, tundra, alpine meadows, fellfields +
sessile +  and petiolate +
alternate +, not +  and rosulate +
cauline +  and basal +
connate +  and distinct +
decurrent +
pinnatisect;2-pinnatifid;1-pinnatifid +
smaller +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (5.2 cm52 mm <br />0.052 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
tenuinucellate +, crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +  and anatropous +
lavender +, pinkish +  and white +
3.5mm;6.5mm +
rudimentary +
narrowed +, suborbicular +  and obovate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Flowering Jun–Aug. +
trinucleate +  and 3(-11)-colpate +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
suberect +, spreading +  and ascending +
slender +
mucilaginous +
aseriate +, biseriate +  and uniseriate +
not +  and mucilaginous +
white +, black +, brown +  and yellow +
0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br /> (0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br />) +
oblong-lanceolate +  and oblong +
0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br />) +
persistent +  and caducous +
distinct +
suberect +  and spreading +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
perforated +  and complete +
reduced +
stipitate +  and sessile +
subterete +, terete +, angustiseptate +, 4-angled +, pyriform +, suboblong +, oblanceolate +, spatulate +, ellipsoid +, obovoid +, oblong +  and linear +
stipitate +  and sessile +
subterete +, terete +, angustiseptate +, 4-angled +, pyriform +, suboblong +, oblanceolate +, spatulate +, ellipsoid +, obovoid +, oblong +  and linear +
tetradynamous +
procumbent +  and decumbent +
erect +  and decumbent +
2-lobed +, entire +, conical +  and capitate +
subsessile +, sessile +  and petiolate +
persistent +
distinct +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
Hutchinsia calycina var. americana +, Smelowskia calycina var. americana +, Smelowskia lineariloba +  and Smelowskia lobata +
Smelowskia americana +
Smelowskia +
species +
forked +  and stellate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br />) +
coiled +, 1-7-veined +  and veined +
anastomosing +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
suberect +  and ascending +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
rhizomatous +, taprooted +, scapose +  and not +
perennial +, biennial +  and annual +
aquatics +  and terrestrial +