Dudleya nubigena | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Dudleya nubigena subsp. nubigena in the Sierra de las Cacachilas. | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Saxifragales |
Family: | Crassulaceae |
Genus: | Dudleya |
Species: | D. nubigena |
Binomial name | |
Dudleya nubigena (Brandegee) Britton & Rose | |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Dudleya nubigena is a species of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae. It is a rosette forming perennial with flattish leaves. Endemic to southern Baja California Sur, the species is found in the Sierra de la Laguna and the surrounding lowlands, a small southern portion of the Sierra de la Giganta, and on Isla Espíritu Santo, with a subspecies endemic to Cerralvo Island.
The caudex is at most 7 cm high, typically unbranched, unless in montane areas. The rosettes are mostly solitary, 4 to 18 cm wide, with 10 to 22 crowded leaves, but up to 30 in cultivation. The rosette leaves are typically farinose, but may sometimes present as green. The leaves are triangular-lanceolate to oblong-obovate, acute to acuminate, and often apiculate. The leaves measure 3 to 10 cm long, 1.5 to 3 cm wide, 2 to 4 mm thick, flattish, but also channeled ventrally. The base of the leaves are 1 to 2 cm wide, with the margins becoming acute near the base, obtuse to rounded above. [2]
The peduncle is 10 to 30 cm tall to the cyme, 1.5 to 5mm thick, colored pink to red and often glaucous, with a variable shape depending on the subspecies. The lower 2 to 12 cm of the peduncle is bare, with 5 to 23 bracts starting above, ascending, triangular-ovate to -lanceolate, with the lower bracts 4 to 30 mm long, 3 to 12 mm wide. The cyme is commonly pinkish and glaucous, composed of 2 to 3 branches that bifurcate up to two times. The cincinni have 4 to 24 flowers, and in cultivation they open at intervals of 2 to 5 days, staying open for 5 to 6 days. [2]
The pedicels are pinkish, and variable in behavior based on the subspecies, 8 to 25 mm long, but becoming up to 40mm long in cultivation. Pedicels are also 1 to 1.5mm thick at the base, thickening upwards. Plants flower in December through April, and in anthesis and fruit the pedicels become more or less erect. The calyx is green to red in coloration, 3 to 6 mm long, 4 to 6 mm wide, sub-truncate to rounded below, with the disk 4 to 5 mm wide. The sinuses on the calyx are sometimes U-shaped at anthesis, and V-shaped to closed. The segments of the calyx are deltoid, acute, 2 to 5 mm long, 2 to 3.5 mm wide. The segments are commonly erect or ascending at anthesis, with tips 0.5 to 2 mm from the corolla. The tips usually become appressed after anthesis, but may become appressed at anthesis in the montane forms. [2]
The corolla is pyramidal with the sides nearly flat, 7 to 10 mm long, and elongating by 1 to 1.5 mm during anthesis, 4 to 6 mm wide at the base, becoming often wide than the calyx disk, 2.5 to 4mm wide at the apex, and colored a yellow to mostly orange or coral red, with the keels glaucous. The tube is 2.5 to 5.5 mm long. The segments are oblong, obtuse to broadly acute, 1.5 to 2.5 mm wide. The filaments are not quite cylindrical in cross section, light yellow, 5 to 8 mm long from the corolla base, adnate 2 to 4 mm. The anthers are oblong-lanceolate, 1.5 to 2 mm long, 0.6 to 0.7 mm wide, light yellow. Nectar glands are white, around 0.25 mm high, 1 to 1.5 mm wide, 0.3 to 0.5 mm thick radially. The gynoecium is 5 to 9 mm high, 2.5 to 3 mm thick, with the pistils erect, appressed, and connate to around 0.5 to 1.0 mm, greenish, with the ovaries oblong and tapering rather abruptly to yellowish or reddish styles 1 to 1.5 mm long. There are 50 to 110 ovules, around 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm thick. The seeds are brown, narrowly ovoid, acute, longitudinally striated, and roughly 0.5 to 0.7 mm long. [2]
The chromosome count is 17. [2] [3]
This species was described by Townshend Stith Brandegee, the first botanist to explore the mountains of the Sierra de la Laguna. He found the plant flowering on the rocks at the summit of the mountains and named it a year later, in 1891, as Cotyledon nubigena. The name nubigena implies cloudy summits, but despite this, Brandegee also recognized many plants at sea level near San Jose del Cabo. [2]
When Joseph Nelson Rose and Nathaniel Lord Britton were creating the genus Dudleya, Rose made the decision to separate the lowland plants as Dudleya xanti. The species xanti was named for L. J. Xantus de Vesey, a tidal observer at Cabo San Lucas for the U.S. Coast Guard Survey from 1859 to 1861. While at Cabo, Xantus traveled around collecting samples of plants, and among them was a specimen of Dudleya. Asa Gray's 1861 account of the Xantus plant collections places the Dudleya specimens as Echeveria farinosa (which is now Dudleya farinosa ). While Rose's descriptions showed that xanti was a smaller plant than nubigena, Reid Moran noted that the claims made by Rose to differentiate the two were unsubstantiated, with the many specimens being hardly distinguishable. Moran then included Dudleya xanti back into Dudleya nubigena. [2]
Moran later described the subspecies Dudleya nubigena ssp. cerralvensis, an endemic of Cerralvo Island, occurring only in a few canyons shielded from the hot climate. He notes in his assessment the difficulty of describing Dudleya when comparing wild specimens with cultivated ones, stating that the morphological difference between a wild and cultivated plant may appear to be as great as two different species. [2] Paul H. Thomson, author of the Dudleya and Hasseanthus Handbook, retains Dudleya xanti as a separate species, but does not substantiate his claim as to why. Thomson's authority on Dudleya has been noted as unreliable by Moran. [3] [4]
The Cerralvo Island species is very rare and only known from a few populations in cool canyons on the island. The mainland species occurs throughout the cape region up to 1500 meters, in the Sierra de La Laguna but also in some parts of the Sierra de la Giganta, like Cerro Mechudo, and also Espiritu Santo Island. [5]
Dudleya rigida – One of the other Dudleyas occurring in the Sierra de La Laguna.
Dudleya abramsiisubsp. setchellii, known by common name as 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 3 February 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.
Dudleya pulverulenta is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common names chalk lettuce, chalk dudleya, and chalk liveforever. It is one of the largest Dudleya, with a silvery, waxy rosette that may greatly contrast with its habitat. It is also regarded as one of the most distinctive members of the Dudleya, with the most advanced inflorescence in the genus, consisting of pendant, hummingbird pollinated flowers, the longest corolla, and the highest nectar output, along with the largest range of all the Dudleya, over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), being found from southern Monterey County in California to the Sierra de San Borja in southern Baja California.
Dudleya stolonifera is a succulent plant known by the common name Laguna Beach liveforever or Laguna Beach dudleya. This is a rare plant which is endemic to the coastline of Orange County, California. It is known from only about six populations in the vicinity of Laguna Beach, totaling about 30,000 individuals. It is federally listed as a threatened species of the United States.
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.
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.
Dudleya attenuata is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common name taper-tip liveforever, native to Baja California and a small portion of California. A rosette-forming leaf succulent, it has narrow pencil shaped leaves that can often be found covered in a white epicuticular wax. The thin, sprawling stems branch to form the clusters of rosettes, with plants creating a "clump" up to 40 cm wide. The small flowers are white or yellow, with 5 spreading petals. It is a diverse, variable species that extends from the southernmost coast of San Diego County to an area slightly north of the Vizcaino Desert, hybridizing with many other species of Dudleya in its range. Some plants with white or pinkish flowers were referred to as Orcutt's liveforever, referring to a former subspecies split on the basis of the flower color.
Dudleya ingens is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the rock liveforever or Baja liveforever. A relatively large member of the genus Dudleya, this species has long green succulent leaves, and in April to June is characterized by pale yellow to white pink-tinged flowers topping tall, reddish inflorescences. It has a stem clothed densely with old, leathery leaves, and the inflorescence may be nodding, with the floral branches bearing the flowers tending to unfurl like the fronds of a fern. It is similar in appearance to Dudleya brittonii, but differs in range and chromosome number. This species is endemic to the state of Baja California in Mexico, being found from Santo Tomás to the southern coast of the state.
Dudleya guadalupensis is a very rare species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the Guadalupe liveforever. It is a rosette-forming leaf succulent, with foliage that is variously colored light green, green, and a waxy white. It is characterized by dense leaves that fold over the center in dormancy, a curving, sinuous flower stalk, and white, cup-shaped flowers. It is endemic to the rocks and islets off of Guadalupe Island, an isolated volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean located 241 kilometers off of the coast of Baja California.
Dudleya rigida is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae known commonly as the La Laguna liveforever. Characterized by a tall inflorescence with pendant yellowish-red flowers, it is a very rare plant whose existence was doubtful until botanist Reid Moran accidentally re-discovered it. It is endemic to the Sierra de la Laguna in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Dudleya pauciflora is a species of succulent plant in the stonecrop family known by the common name few-flower liveforever. It is characterized by its small crowded rosettes of narrow leaves and its colorful inflorescence with red-yellow flowers. Found growing on rocky outcrops and cliffs in the high elevation mountains of the Sierra de San Pedro Martir and the Sierra de San Borja, it is endemic to the state of Baja California, Mexico.
Dudleya gatesii, known by the common name as Gates'liveforever, is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to the central desert of the Baja California peninsula, found growing along dry and rocky outcroppings. It is characterized by red inflorescences topped with white flowers, bracts that are often reflexed downwards, and a rosette of dark-green leaves turning reddish.
Dudleya campanulata is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common name as the Punta Banda liveforever, native to Baja California and endemic to the Punta Banda peninsula, a promontory south of Ensenada that encloses the southern limit of the Bahía de Todos Santos, a deepwater bay. One of many species of Dudleya native to the peninsula and surrounding islands, it is distinguished by its campanulate flowers and its occupation of a narrow habitat that consists of ocean bluffs on the southern end of the Punta Banda, near the well-known blowhole La Bufadora.
Dudleya formosa, known by the common name La Misión liveforever, is a species of perennial succulent plant endemic to the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California. It is characterized by bright green leaves, red floral stems, and pink flowers.
Dudleya rubens is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name as the San Francisco liveforever, native to the mountains of Baja California Sur. It is a rosette-forming plant with waxy leaves, characterized by branching stems and dull red to apricot flowers. It is only found above 500 metres (1,600 ft) in the Sierra de San Francisco and the Sierra de la Giganta ranges in Baja California Sur, primarily on north-facing volcanic slopes.
Dudleya cultrata is a species of perennial succulent in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the knife-leaved liveforever or the maritime succulent liveforever. This species is characterized by oblong, narrow green leaves and flowers with pale yellow petals that bloom from April to June. Although similar to Dudleya ingens, this species is most often seen growing sympatric with the larger, wax-covered Dudleya anthonyi. It is native to Baja California, occurring on the coast from Punta Colonet and San Quintin to El Rosario.
Dudleya rigidiflora is a very rare species of succulent perennial plant known by the common name Playa Maria liveforever, endemic to the coast of southwestern Baja California.
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.
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.
Dudleya virens subsp. extima is a subspecies of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the Guadalupe green liveforever. It is a rosette-forming leaf succulent, with both green and white waxy foliage. It has white flowers with spreading petals that bloom from May to June. It is a somewhat small plant, continuing a southward trend of decreasing size relative to other Dudleya virens subspecies. This plant is endemic to Guadalupe Island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which is 241 kilometers off of the Baja California coast. It is very rare, with this plant only surviving on sheer cliff faces and canyons, out of the reach of the former feral goat population rampant on the island. It closely resembles a miniature version of Dudleya virens subsp. virens, but it may be more nearly related to the local Dudleya guadalupensis.
Dudleya cymosasubsp. agourensis, commonly known as the Agoura Hills dudleya or Agoura Hills liveforever, is a species of perennial succulent plant. A rare and critically imperiled species from the Santa Monica Mountains in California, it is characterized by glaucous, gray-purple leaves, bright yellow flowers, and ascending bracts. A leaf succulent, it is found growing on west to northwest-facing open, rocky volcanic slopes.