Eriogonum umbellatum var. majus

Hooker

Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 5: 264. 1853.

Common names: Subalpine sulphur flower
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Eriogonum subalpinum Greene Eriogonum umbellatum subsp. majus (Hooker) Piper Eriogonum umbellatum subsp. subalpinum (Greene) S. Stokes
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 346. Mentioned on page 335, 337, 345.
Revision as of 09:42, 30 July 2020 by imported>Volume Importer
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Herbs, prostrate to spreading, compact mats, 1–4.5 (–5) × 2–8 (–10) dm. Aerial flowering-stems erect, 1.5–3 dm, usually floccose, without one or more leaflike bracts ca. midlength. Leaves in loose rosettes; blade oblanceolate to elliptic, (0.3–) 0.5–2 (–4) × 0.3–1 (–1.5) cm, densely whitish, greenish, or reddish-lanate abaxially, glabrous and olive green to bright green adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences umbellate; branches (2–) 3–9 cm, usually floccose, without a whorl of bracts ca. midlength; involucral tubes 2–3.5 mm, lobes 1–4 mm. Flowers 3–7 (–9.5) mm; perianth cream. 2n = 76.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat: Sandy to gravelly flats, slopes and ridges, mixed grassland and sagebrush communities, oak, aspen, and montane to subalpine conifer woodlands, mountain meadows, or in alpine tundra
Elevation: (800-)1200-2800(-3500) m

Distribution

V5 694-distribution-map.gif

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

Discussion

Variety majus is widespread and common in the Rocky Mountains. These plants are often locally common in Idaho and northern Utah, but they are rather rare in the Cascade Range of Washington. The high-elevation plants in Washington are often markedly different from similarly situated Rocky Mountain plants, having smaller leaves and flowers, and tighter, more compact, umbellate inflorescences.

Variety majus is distinct from and often grows with var. umbellatum in Colorado, leading many local taxonomists to distinguish the two at species rank. In Wyoming and Montana, however, var. majus occasionally is difficult to differentiate from var. dichrocephalum. Variety majus often occurs with Eriogonum heracleoides, and mixed collections occasionally are encountered. Care must be taken in the herbarium to differentiate the narrow-leaved E. heracleoides var. leucophaeum from the broader-leaved E. umbellatum var. majus, although the two do not grow together.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"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."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.

light-brown;brown +
included +  and exserted +
3-gonous +
usually red +  and cream or yellow +
oblong +  and ellipsoid or oval +
James L. Reveal +
Hooker +
deciduous +  and persistent +
stipelike +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
awn-tipped +  and simple +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
olive green +  and bright green +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and reddish-lanate +
oblanceolate;elliptic +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
not awn-tipped +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
midlength +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
3;several +
scale-like +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
grooved +, disarticulating +  and dichotomous +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
not brittle +
scabrellous +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
spreading +  and erect +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
Subalpine sulphur flower +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
(800-)1200-2800(-3500) m +
curved +  and straight +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.95 cm9.5 mm <br />0.0095 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
attenuate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
not fistulose +
unwinged +  and winged +
black +, red +, brown +  and yellowish +
exserted +  and included +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
spheroidal +, 4-gonous +, lenticular +, biconvex +, discoid +, 3-gonous +  and 2-gonous +
Sandy to gravelly flats, slopes and ridges, mixed grassland and sagebrush communities, oak, aspen, and montane to subalpine conifer woodlands, mountain meadows, or in alpine tundra +
capitate +  and subcapitate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
cymelike +, paniclelike +, racemelike +  and spikelike +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
connate +  and free +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
tomentose +  and thinly floccose or glabrous +
turbinate +  and campanulate +
nonmembranous +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
persistent +
cauline +  and basal +
bractlike +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
not swollen +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
curved +  and straight +
erect to deflexed +
cylindric +  and urceolate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
mostly tomentose +  and floccose or glabrous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering Jun–Sep. +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
persistent +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
prostrate +  and erect +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
penicillate +, fimbriate +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
consisting of a series +  and tubular +
distinct +
erect;spreading or recurved +
spreading;erect +
Eriogonum subalpinum +, Eriogonum umbellatum subsp. majus +  and Eriogonum umbellatum subsp. subalpinum +
chambered +  and solid +
slender +  and stout +
Eriogonum umbellatum var. majus +
Eriogonum umbellatum +
variety +
emarginate +  and entire +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
usually spatulate +  and obovate +
coriaceous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
involucral +
persistent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
sericeous +, lanate +  and tomentose floccose or glabrous +
dioecious +, polygamodioecious +, synoecious +  and polycarpic +
annual +, biennial +  and perennial +
prostrate;spreading +
tomentose +  and glabrous +
midlength +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +