Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. brunneus

(Jepson) Munz

Aliso 4: 98. 1958.

Endemic
Basionym: Cordylanthus pilosus var. brunneus Jepson Man. Fl. Pl. Calif., 946. 1925
Synonyms: C. brunneus (Jepson) Pennell C. capillaris Pennell C. tenuis subsp. capillaris (Pennell) T. I. Chuang & Heckard
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 677. Mentioned on page 676.

Stems glabrous proximally, glandular-puberulent distally. Leaves green, sometimes tinged purple, entire or 3-lobed, lobes filiform. Inflorescences 1- or 2-flowered, flowers in loose clusters; bracts green to purple, entire or 3-lobed, puberulent, often glabrous distally, without long hairs. Flowers: corolla 12–16 mm.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat: Serpentine in mixed evergreen forests and chaparral.
Elevation: 200–1400 m.

Discussion

Subspecies brunneus is a serpentine endemic with glabrous or slightly puberulent stems and leaves with filiform lobes. T. I. Chuang and L. R. Heckard (1986) recognized subsp. capillaris as a distinct subspecies, closely related to subsp. brunneus but distinguished by glabrous stems and three-lobed proximal bracts. These characteristics are not reliable, varying even on a single plant. When combined, the two form a coherent subspecies distinguished by filiform leaf lobes, tendency to grow on serpentine, and distribution.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Kerry A. Barringer +
(Jepson) Munz +
Cordylanthus pilosus var. brunneus +
200–1400 m. +
Serpentine in mixed evergreen forests and chaparral. +
Flowering Jun–Jul. +
C. brunneus +, C. capillaris +  and C. tenuis subsp. capillaris +
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. brunneus +
Cordylanthus tenuis +
subspecies +