Lewisia pygmaea

(A. Gray) B. L. Robinson in A. Gray et al.

in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1: 268. 1897.

IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Talinum pygmaeum A. Gray Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 33: 407. 1862 (as pygnaeum) Calandrinia pygmaea (A. Gray)A. Gray 1873
Synonyms: Calandrinia grayi Britton Lewisia exarticulata H. St. John Lewisia glandulosa (Rydberg) Clay Lewisia minima (A. Nelson) A. Nelson Lewisia pygmaea var. aridorum Bartlett Lewisia pygmaea subsp. glandulosa (Rydberg) Ferris Lewisia sierrae (H. St. John) Rydberg Oreobroma aridorum Rydberg Oreobroma exarticulatum (Britton) Rydberg Oreobroma glandulosum A. Nelson Oreobroma grayi (A. Gray) Howell Oreobroma minimum Oreobroma pygmaeum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 483. Mentioned on page 476, 478, 482.

Taproots gradually ramified distally or shortly fusiform, rarely subnapiform. Stems ± prostrate or suberect, becoming reflexed in fruit, 1–6 cm. Leaves: basal leaves withering at or soon after anthesis, ± sessile or gradually tapered to long petiole, blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, ± flattened, 3–9 cm, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse; cauline leaves absent. Inflorescences 2–4 (–7) -flowered in racemose cymes or with flowers borne singly; bracts 2, opposite, plus 1 subtending each successive flower if more than 1 flower, linear-oblong, linear-lanceolate, or lanceolate, (2–) 4–10 mm, margins glandular-toothed, sometimes eglandular-toothed, apex acute. Flowers pedicellate, not disarticulate in fruit, 1.5–2 cm diam.; sepals 2, suborbiculate, broadly ovate, or obovate, 2–6 mm, herbaceous at anthesis, margins usually glandular-toothed, sometimes eglandular-toothed or rarely ± entire, apex usually truncate, sometimes rounded, obtuse, subacute, or apiculate; petals 5–9, white, pink, or magenta, sometimes green at base, narrowly oblong, elliptic, or oblanceolate, 4–10 mm; stamens (4–) 5–8; stigmas 3–6; pedicel 2–5 (–10) mm. Capsules 4–5 mm. Seeds 15–24, 1–2 mm, shiny, smooth. 2n = ca. 66.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–late summer.
Habitat: Open places in short turf or gravelly or rocky substrates
Elevation: 2300-4200 m

Distribution

V4 978-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Yukon, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

The circumscription and diagnosis of Lewisia pygmaea is problematic because of morphologic variability, intermediacy, and/or hybridization with L. nevadensis (see L. T. Dempster 1990). In the range of typical forms of L. nevadensis (see discussion under 11. L. nevadensis), one or more forms of L. pygmaea will also occur, but at higher elevations. Segregates of L. pygmaea recognized elsewhere as species include L. glandulosa, which occurs in rocky substrates above 3000 m in the central and southern Sierra Nevada and is characterized by elongate, sinuous taproots (L. T. Dempster 1990); and L. sierrae, which occurs in moist flats above 2400 m in the central Sierra Nevada and includes diminutive plants with irregularly eglandular-toothed (occasionally entire) sepals (B. Mathew 1989b). Dempster postulated that the variable and widely distributed L. pygmaea represents a hybrid species derived from L. nevadensis and L. glandulosa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number.

... more about "Lewisia pygmaea"
apiculate +, subacute +, obtuse +, rounded +  and acute +
Mark A. Hershkovitz +  and Sean B. Hogan +
(A. Gray) B. L. Robinson in A. Gray et al. +
ephemeral +  and evergreen +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
Talinum pygmaeum +  and Calandrinia pygmaea +
occasionally dentate;crisped +
linear +  and linear-oblanceolate +
persistent +
subtending +
1 +  and 2 +
subequal +
circumscissile +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
enlarged +
gradually +  and sessile +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
subumbellate +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Yukon +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
2300-4200 m +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
disarticulate in fruit +  and persistent +
lanceolate +, linear-lanceolate +  and linear-oblong +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Open places in short turf or gravelly or rocky substrates +
paniculate +  and racemose +
terminal +  and axillary +
exstipulate +  and secund +
subrosulate +, rosulate +, alternate +, subopposite +  and opposite +
cauline +  and basal +
eglandular-toothed +  and glandular-toothed +
scarious +  and herbaceous +
plurilocular +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
green +, magenta +, pink +  and white +
connate +  and distinct +
oblanceolate +, elliptic +  and oblong +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
linear +  and linear-oblanceolate +
Flowering late spring–late summer. +
in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. +
estrophiolate +
black +  and brown +
15 +  and 24 +
sculptured +  and smooth +
sculpted +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +
persistent +
obovate;ovate;obovate;ovate;suborbiculate +
subequal +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
distinct +  and scarcely connate and/or adnate +
5 +  and 8 +
branched +, simple +  and scapelike +
deciduous +
reflexed +, suberect +  and prostrate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
3 +  and 6 +
Calandrinia grayi +, Lewisia exarticulata +, Lewisia glandulosa +, Lewisia minima +, Lewisia pygmaea var. aridorum +, Lewisia pygmaea subsp. glandulosa +, Lewisia sierrae +, Oreobroma aridorum +, Oreobroma exarticulatum +, Oreobroma glandulosum +, Oreobroma grayi +, Oreobroma minimum +  and Oreobroma pygmaeum +
subnapiform;fusiform +
Lewisia pygmaea +
species +
fleshy +  and succulent +
15 +, 14 +, 13 +, 12 +, 11 +  and 10 +