Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens

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Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens
Marcescent dudleya 2.jpg
Status TNC T2.svg
Imperiled  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Dudleya
Species:
Subspecies:
D. c. subsp. marcescens
Trinomial name
Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens
Moran (1957)

Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens is a species of summer-deciduous succulent plant known commonly as the marcescent dudleya or marcescent liveforever. Throughout the months of spring, it is characterized by a bloom of small, bright-yellow flowers with 5 petals, tinged with orange or red. It is a leaf succulent with a basal rosette, with the foliage withering in summer, going completely leafless, a neotenous trait in the genus. [2] This species is endemic to the exposed volcanic rock of the Santa Monica Mountains in California, being found on shady slopes and outcroppings. [3] It differs from its local congeners with its deciduous habit, slender caudex, and narrower leaf shape, although it is superseded in some of these characteristics by Dudleya parva, growing 13 km to the north, which has even narrower leaves and is quicker to lose them. [4] Because of its restricted distribution and small size, it is vulnerable to habitat degradation and disturbance from acts of graffiti and rock climbers. [5] It is listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. [6]

Contents

Description

Vegetative morphology

Like most other species of Dudleya, this plant grows from a caudex, used in this context interchangeably with the stem, with rosettes forming on the meristem on the apex of each stem. The stem is 2 to 10 mm (0.079 to 0.394 in) in width, and may sometimes branch to form multiple rosettes, but generally plants have a solitary one. The rosettes are typically 0.5 to 4 cm (0.20 to 1.57 in) wide, covered in succulent leaves. The leaves are deciduous, and wither in the early summer, not being replaced until after the first rains. Each leaf is 1.5 to 4 cm (0.59 to 1.57 in) long by 5 to 12 mm (0.20 to 0.47 in) wide, with an elliptic to elliptic-ovate shape and an acute tip. The leaves may sometimes be covered with a glaucous epicuticular wax, and have a papery texture during the summer months when dry. If a leaf is removed from the plant, it may leave a wound that turns purple-red at the base. [2] [3]

Reproductive morphology

Growing in habitat Marcescent dudleya.jpg
Growing in habitat

The inflorescence structure in the genus Dudleya is a cyme, in which the central flowers open prior to the peripheral ones. This species has an inflorescence that is more or less asymmetrical radially. The peduncle is 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) in height, and 1 to 3 mm (0.039 to 0.118 in) in width. There are 5 to 15 bracts, which are the modified leaves found on the inflorescence, and the lower bracts are plump. The inflorescence branches up to 2 times, with each terminal branch 1 to 3 cm (0.39 to 1.18 in) long, holding 3 to 5 flowers. The petals are 2.5 to 3.5 mm (0.098 to 0.138 in) wide, and colored a bright yellow that is marked with orange or red. Flowering is typically in spring, often occurring from May to June. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

This species was first described by botanist Reid Moran in his 1957 paper "Innovations in Dudleya." Chromosome counts conducted by him and Charles Uhl placed this plant as a diploid with n = 17 chromosomes, which justified his placement of the taxa as a subspecies of Dudleya cymosa. Moran notes that it is a very distinct subspecies, but it is in some respects similar to the local congener Dudleya cymosa subsp. ovatifolia. [4]

This species is unique among the Dudleya because of its deciduous habit, which is not commonly seen with the wide-leaved members of the genus. The only other member with a similar habit is the local Dudleya parva , which occurs 13 km to the north. Compared to this species, D. parva has paler yellow petals, narrower leaves, much shorter pedicels, and loses its leaves much quicker. Both are diploids. [4]

It is believed that the unusual deciduous habit of Dudleya parva and this species is a neotenous trait, which is common in the genus with other taxa like Dudleya blochmaniae and Dudleya variegata . [2] This neoteny is carried to the most extreme limit by Dudleya brevifolia , whose adult rosette leaves are the same as the juvenile leaves encountered across the genus. [7]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to California in the United States, where it is found in the Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu Creek area. It is restricted to thin soils on exposed volcanic substrates, from 150 to 500 m (490 to 1,640 ft). Plants of this species are typically found on north-facing shaded slopes and outcroppings, growing with moss and lichens. [2] [3] The habitat of this species is threatened by growing degradation, and by disturbances caused from recreational activities, particularly in Malibu Creek State Park. These disturbances are often from people making graffiti and rock climbers, who tear out the moss and lichens vital to the habitat. [5] Because of this, it is listed as a threatened species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dudleya</i> North American succulent genus

Dudleya, commonly known as liveforevers is a genus of succulent plants in the stonecrop family, Crassulaceae, consisting of about 68 taxa in southwestern North America. The species come in multiple forms, some large and evergreen, others cryptic and deciduous. The flowers of Dudleya have parts numbered in 5, and when fruiting are filled with tiny, ovoid or crescent-shaped seeds.

<i>Dudleya abramsii <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> setchellii</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya abramsiisubsp. setchellii, known by the common name Dudleya setchellii, the Santa Clara Valley dudleya, or Santa Clara Valley liveforever, is a member of the Dudleya genus of succulent perennials, members of the family Crassulaceae. The Santa Clara Valley dudleya, endemic to the Santa Clara Valley region in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, was listed on February 3, 1995, as an endangered species. It is considered to be a subspecies of Dudleya abramsii, but its taxonomic status is still unclear. Its closest relative is Dudleya cymosa subsp. paniculata, which is a morphologically similar sister taxon.

<i>Dudleya cymosa</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya cymosa is a species complex of evergreen and deciduous succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name: canyon liveforever. It is a loosely defined polyphyletic species with a diverse number of subspecies, varying highly in morphology, distribution, and habitat.

<i>Dudleya blochmaniae</i> Species of deciduous succulent plant from North America

Dudleya blochmaniae is a summer-deciduous succulent plant known by the common names Blochman's liveforever or Blochman's dudleya. This species of Dudleya survives part of the year with no aboveground presence, existing primarily as a corm in deciduous months. It is characterized by white, star-shaped and spreading flowers that emerge after sufficient rainfall. It is found along the Pacific coast of the California Floristic Province, from the vicinity of San Luis Obispo in California to Punta Colonet in Baja California.

<i>Dudleya caespitosa</i> Species of coastal succulent plant from North America

Dudleya caespitosa is a succulent plant known by several common names, including sea lettuce, sand lettuce, and coast dudleya. It is endemic to California, where it grows along the coastline in the southern half of the state. Taxonomically, this species is a highly variable complex of polymorphic and polyploid plants, closely related to numerous neighboring species such as Dudleya farinosa, Dudleya greenei and Dudleya palmeri. It is delimited from neighboring species on an arbitrary basis of distribution and chromosome number, and is not immediately separable from the other species it approaches.

<i>Dudleya abramsii <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> calcicola</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya abramsiisubsp.calcicola is a succulent plant known by the common name limestone liveforever, or limestone dudleya. It is endemic to California, where it is a rare resident of limestone outcroppings and rocky slopes in the southern Sierra Nevada and nearby mountains and foothills. It was formerly regarded as Dudleya calcicola.

<i>Dudleya candelabrum</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya candelabrum is a succulent plant known by the common name Candleholder liveforever. This Dudleya is endemic to California, where it grows wild only on the northern Channel Islands. It has been threatened by poachers shipping plants to South Korea.

<i>Dudleya palmeri</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya palmeri is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name Palmer's liveforever. This Dudleya is endemic to California where it grows along the coast. It is characterized by orange to red over yellow or pink flowers. It is a polyploid species that closely resembles Dudleya lanceolata but has a coastal habit, and hybridizes with Dudleya caespitosa and Dudleya cymosa.

<i>Dudleya brevifolia</i> Rare, small species of succulent plant found in San Diego County

Dudleya brevifolia, is a rare succulent plant known by the common name short-leaved liveforever, short-leaved dudleya or rarely the Del Mar Hasseanthus. It is a geophyte that only grows on the mesas of the most ancient marine terraces, hiding in the vicinity of ironstone concretions. The leaves are deciduous, and disappear after the inflorescence develops. When flowering, it has a conspicuous white flower. After flowering, any above-ground trace of the plant will disappear, and it will exist as a corm. It was formerly a subspecies of Dudleya blochmaniae.

<i>Dudleya greenei</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya greenei is a perennial species of succulent plant known by the common names Greene's liveforever, or Greene's dudleya. It is endemic to the Channel Islands of California, where it grows along the cliffs of four of the eight islands. It is a highly variable plant, presenting with multiple forms and varying levels of ploidy. Taxonomically, this species is an insular segregate of Dudleya caespitosa, and was placed as a stopgap taxon by Reid Moran in his 1951 thesis on the genus. It is characterized by white or green leaf rosettes, loomed over by inflorescences bearing pale yellow to white flowers. It is a member of the subgenus Dudleya, as it cannot be propagated from leaf cuttings, does not grow from a corm, and has tight petals.

<i>Dudleya abramsii</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya abramsii is a species complex of succulent plants native to California and parts of Baja California. There are numerous subspecies, some critically endangered, with varying habits and lifestyles, but most often characterized by a smaller size, yellow flowers, and an affinity for rocky habitats. The subspecies may be polyphyletic.

<i>Dudleya verityi</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya verityi is a rare species of succulent plant known by the common name Verity's liveforever. It is endemic to Ventura County, California, where it is known from only three occurrences in the vicinity of Conejo Mountain between Camarillo and Thousand Oaks. It probably occurs in a few additional locations nearby which have not yet been officially vouchered.

<i>Dudleya gnoma</i> Species of succulent plant

Dudleya gnoma is a rare species of succulent plant in the stonecrop family known by the common names munchkin liveforever and munchkin dudleya. It is endemic to Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands of California, where it is known from one type locality containing about 3200 plants.

<i>Dudleya saxosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> collomiae</i>

Dudleya saxosa subsp. collomiae, known by the common name Gila County liveforever, is a subspecies of perennial succulent plant within the genus Dudleya native to central Arizona.

<i>Dudleya cymosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> paniculata</i> Species of succulent plant

Dudleya cymosa subsp. paniculata, known by the common name Diablo Range dudleya, is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae native to the Inner South Coast Range of California. It is characterized by pale yellowish flowers, oblong to oblanceolate leaves and a growth habit not limited to a single substrate. It is closely related to Dudleya abramsii subsp. setchellii.

Dudleya cymosasubsp. costatifolia, known commonly as the Pierpoint Springs dudleya or the Pierpoint Springs liveforever, is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae, narrowly endemic to a locality in Tulare County, California, United States. It is a clumping plant with small rosettes and bright yellow flowers, resembling alpine "cushion plants."

<i>Dudleya cymosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> pumila</i> Subspecies of plant

Dudleya cymosasubsp. pumila, most commonly known as the low canyon dudleya or California live-forever, is a species of perennial succulent plant. It has diamond to spoon shaped leaves, sometimes coated with a fine white powder, and in May through July, bright red, orange or yellow flowers adorn the short inflorescence. A leaf succulent primarily found growing in rocky cliffs and slopes, it is endemic to California, and grows in the Transverse Ranges and South Coast Ranges, with some outlying populations. A variable plant, in some localities it is difficult to distinguish from other plants in the genus.

<i>Dudleya saxosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> aloides</i> Subspecies of perennial succulent plant

Dudleya saxosasubsp. aloides is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common names desert dudleya or desert savior. It is a rosette-forming species widely distributed throughout the Peninsular Ranges and desert mountains of California in the United States. It is characterized by bright-yellow or greenish-yellow flowers, and can be found in shaded crevices and slopes. Plants in western half of the range may grade into Dudleya lanceolata.

<i>Dudleya cymosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> cymosa</i> Subspecies of succulent perennial plant

Dudleya cymosasubsp. cymosa is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae native to California. It is the autonymous subspecies for Dudleya cymosa, and is known by the common name canyon liveforever. It is native to the California Coast Ranges, the Sierra Nevada and the Santa Monica Mountains. It is characterized by bright-yellow, orange or red flowers and broad, wide leaves. This plant is commonly found growing on rocky outcrops, talus slopes, and in shaded canyons.

<i>Dudleya saxosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> saxosa</i> Plant species

Dudleya saxosasubsp. saxosa is a species of succulent perennial plant endemic only to the western Panamint Range of California. It is known commonly as the Panamint liveforever or Panamint dudleya. It is found on north-facing, granitic or limestone slopes and grows up to 20 cm wide. It is characterized by bright yellow, red tinged flowers, which bloom from May to June.

References

  1. "Dudleya cymosa ssp. marcescens". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Moran, Reid. "Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford. Retrieved 10 February 2022 via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  3. 1 2 3 4 McCabe, Stephen W. (2012). "Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens". Jepson eFlora. Jepson Flora Project. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Moran, Reid (1957). "INNOVATIONS IN DUDLEYA". Madroño. 14 (3): 106–108. ISSN   0024-9637.
  5. 1 2 "Marcescent Dudleya, Dudleya cymosa ssp. marcescens". Biodiversity Atlas of LA. UCLA Department of Geography, UC Regents. 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 "ECOS: Species Profile". ecos.fws.gov. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  7. Moran, Reid. "Dudleya brevifolia". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford. Retrieved 10 February 2022 via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

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