Triphysaria floribunda
Syst. Bot. 16: 660. 1991.
Stems simple or with 1–15 ascending branches proximally, 6–24 (–30) cm, glabrous proximally, sparsely retrorsely short-strigose distally. Leaves glabrous or sparsely puberulent; proximal cauline: blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 6–14 mm; cauline: blade ± ovate, 10–56 mm, base sessile, margins pinnatifid, rarely bipinnatifid, lateral lobes 4–8. Spikelike racemes interrupted, dense distally, 1–5.5 cm; peduncle absent; bracts pinnatifid, ± ovate, 4–12 mm, lateral lobes 2–6. Pedicels 0–0.3 mm, glabrous. Flowers: calyx 4–6 mm, glabrous, tube 2–4 mm, lobes triangular to narrowly lanceolate, 1.3–2 × 0.8–1 mm; corolla creamy white, rarely pale-yellow, 6–14 mm, glabrous, beak light green or white, not hooked, abaxial lobes spreading, 1.5–3 mm, throat abruptly indented, forming a fold under abaxial corolla lip, adaxial lobes projecting; stamens exserted, pollen-sac yellow, 1.3–1.5 mm, glabrous, dehiscing longitudinally; style 5.5–6 mm, glabrous; stigma capitate. Capsules 4.5–6.5 × 3–3.5 mm, glabrous. Seeds 20–35, ovoid, 0.6–1.3 mm. 2n = 22.
Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Coastal or valley grasslands, grassy and rocky hills, sandy soils, road edges, coastal scrub, serpentine slopes.
Elevation: 0–200 m.
Discussion
Triphysaria floribunda is known from the San Francisco Bay area. The species is threatened by grazing, non-native plants, and trampling (California Native Plant Society, http://www.rareplants.cnps.org); only 14 of the 150 specimens for T. floribunda in the California Consortium of Herbaria portal (http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium) were collected after 1971.
Selected References
None.