Download sphaeralcea - Intermountain Herbarium

SPHAERALCEA:
A DIFFICULT GENUS WITH WEAK
DISTINCTIONS
~40 species worldwide
●15 species in Intermountain Region
Need to add “S.” before names;
ensure that symbols come across;
Italicize scientific names;
consistently omit authors
Species in Utah
• 4 species fairly widespread
– S. coccinea
– S. grossulariifolia
– S. munroana
– S. parvifolia
• 4 species restricted to a single county
• 6 species endemic to Utah
Difficulties
• Weak character
differences between
species
• Polyploidy and
hybridization
Generic Characteristics
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•
•
•
Herbs or shrubs
Stellate pubescence
Leaves entire to deeply dissected or compound
Inflorescence of solitary flowers, racemes,
thyrsoid, panicles
• Flowers red-orange, lavender, yellow, or rarely
white
• Fruit a schizocarp with several to many
mericarps
Species Identification (1)
• Leaves
– Shallowly or deeply lobed
– Length to width ratio
• Pubescence
– Density
– Coarse or delicate
– Rays slender or not
– 2 or 3-dimensional
Species identification (2)
• Inflorescence
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–
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–
Thyrsoid
Paniculate
Racemose
Number of flowers/node
• Calyx
– Length
– Lobe length
– Overall shape
• Flowers
– Petal length
Leaves
• Not or shallowly lobed
• Deeply lobed
Inflorescence
• Thyrsoid/ paniculate:
flowers attached in a
cluster at the nodes
• Racemose: 1(2,3)
flowers/node, all
attached directly to
main stem
4 commonly confused species
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S. coccinea
S. grossulariifolia
S. munroana
S. parvifolia
Key to Common Species
•
Leaves entire or
shallowly lobed
1. Leaves densely
pubescent, relatively
thick, margins weakly
crenulate - S. parvifolia
2. Leaves moderately
pubescent (greenish),
relatively thin, margins
coarsely and irregularly
crenulate
- S. munroana
• Leaves deeply lobed
1. Inflorescence thyrsoid or
paniculate with 2+
flowers/node; mericarps
higher than wide
– S. grossulariifolia
1. Inflorescence racemose
with 1(2,3) flowers/node;
mericarps nearly as high
as wide
– S. coccinea
Sphaeralcea parviflora
• Perennial from a thick crown or woody,
short branched caudex; typically with
multiple, erect to ascending stems and
usually short-branched.
• Herbage gray-green, moderately to
densely pubescent; stellate hairs in
multiple planes.
Leaves cauline;
petiole 1.5-4(6)cm;
blade thickish,
about as wide as
long, deltate-ovate
to suborbicular,
sometimes
shallowly 3-5 lobed,
palmately veined,
veins prominent
beneath, slightly
channeled above.
Inflorescence relatively
narrowly thyrsoidglomerate; pedicels 210 mm, ascending;
calyx 5-8(9) mm, lobes
ovate, obtuse, densely
pubescent; petals 2-10
mm, orange-red;
staminal column 3-5.5
mm, glabrous, anthers
apical; styles capitate.
Schizocarp of about 10
mericarps forming a
ring 4-5.5 mm in
diameter; mericarps 2seeded, 2.8-4 mm
high, 2-2.3 mm wide,
pubescent on back
and margins. Seeds
1.7-2 mm long,
reniform, dark brown
to black, patches of
minute hairs.
Washes, roadsides, and
among greasewood,
blackbrush, sagebrush
and juniper
communities. 750-2450
m.
Southern and lower
elevation counterpart to
S. munroana. The
confluent leaf blades
seem to be diagnostic
for most specimens of
this species.
Sphaeralcea munroana
• Perennial from a thick crown or woody,
short branched caudex; typically multiple
erect to ascending stems, unbranched or
often short-branched.
• Herbage green, moderately to sparsely
pubescent; stellate rays in three planes.
Leaves cauline;
petiole 1.5-4.5(5.5)cm;
blade thin, about as
wide as long, deltateovate, often
moderately 3-5 lobed,
lobes rounded or
obtuse, palmately
veined, veins not as
prominent beneath.
Inflorescence relatively
narrowly thyrsoidglomerate; pedicels
stout, shorter than the
calyx; calyx 4.7-7 mm,
lobes ovate, acute,
densely pubescent;
petals 8-14(18) mm,
grenadine; staminal
column 4.5-5.7 mm,
glabrous to sparsely
pubescent, anthers
apical; styles capitate.
Schizocarps of 10-12
mericarps forming a
ring 4-5.2 mm in
diameter; mericarps
1(2)-seeded, 2-3 mm
high, 1.8-2.5 mm wide,
apically pubescent on
back and margins.
Seeds about 1.7 mm
long, reniform, dark
brown, minutely
pubescent.
Deserts, valleys and
foothills among
rabbitbrush and
sagebrush communities.
640-2400 m.
Difficult to distinguish from
S. parviflora.
S. munroana var.
subrhomboidea has 3
distinct lobes reaching
almost halfway to the
base is found along the
Wasatch and Oquirrh Mts.
and North into Southern
Idaho.
Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia
• Perennial from a thick crown or woody,
short branched caudex; typically multiple
erect to ascending stems, unbranched or
often short-branched.
• Herbage greenish, moderately to sparsely
pubescent on leaves, densely pubescent
on stems; stellate hairs in three planes,
often with appressed rays on stems.
Leaves cauline; petiole
(1)1.5-5(7)cm; blade
more or less thin,
about as wide as long,
deltate or broadly
ovate in outline, 3-5
lobed sometime
appearing 3-foliate,
lobes with deeply cleft
lateral lobes, lateral
lobes asymmetrical,
>10 mm wide,
palmately veined, veins
prominent beneath.
Inflorescence relatively
narrowly thyrsoidglomerate; pedicels stout,
shorter than the calyx,
sometimes longer at the
lower nodes; calyx 5-11
mm, lobes ovate to
lanceolate, acute; petals
11-22 mm, grenadine;
staminal column 4-6 mm,
glabrous or stellate
pubescent, anthers apical;
styles capitate.
Schizocarp of 10-12
mericarps forming a
ring 4.5-6.5 mm in
diameter; mericarps
1(2)-seeded, 2.53.5(4) mm high, 2-3
mm wide, pubescent
on dorsal and apical
surfaces. Seeds about
2 mm long, reniform,
dark brown, minutely
puberulent.
Deserts, valleys and
foothills among
blackbrush, greasewood,
shadscale, rabbitbrush
and sagebrush
vegetation. 800-2300 m. A
complex species with
great variation in the
dissection of the leaves.
Much of the variation
likely comes from
introgression with other
species. It appears to be
less common in the
Southern portions of its
range.
Sphaeralcea coccinea
• Perennial from a woody, branched caudex,
surmounting deep-seated running roots,
often forming colonies; stems several to
many, decumbent or ascending,
unbranched or with short, often poorly
developed branch.
• Herbage grayish-green, stellately
pubescent, rays angled away from the
surface.
Leaves cauline; petiole
1-2.5(4)cm; blade,
wider than long,
broadly ovate to
orbicular in outline,
pedately 3-foliate,
lower lateral lobes
deeply divided, lower
segments imparting a
5-foliate appearance,
mid lobe ternate to
pinnatifid.
Inflorescence: lower flowers
solitary in leaf axils and a
bracteate raceme above with
1 flower per node, barely
elongating in fruit; pedicels 210 mm, relatively stout at
maturity, ascending; calyx
(5)6-9.5 mm, lobes triangularovate, acute; petals 10-16
(20) mm, deep orange to
reddish-orange; staminal
column 3-5 mm, sparsely
stellate pubescent, anthers
apical; styles capitate.
Schizocarp of 10-14
mericarps forming a
ring 4.8-6.7 mm in
diameter; mericarps
1(2)-seeded, 2-2.6(4)
mm high, 2.4-3 mm
wide, rounded
dorsally, densely
pubescent on
dorsally. Seeds about
2 mm long, reniform,
dark brown to black.
Sandy and gravelly soils
in greasewood,
shadscale, sagebrush,
pinyon-juniper and
Gambel oak communities.
(1000)1375-2750 m.
The somewhat smaller
stature, branched caudex
with running roots, dense
pubescence on the
leaves, and simple
raceme inflorescence
help distinguish this
species from S.
grossulariifolia.