Dudleya pauciflora

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Dudleya pauciflora
Dudleya pauciflora 1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Dudleya
Species:
D. pauciflora
Binomial name
Dudleya pauciflora
Synonyms
  • Echeveria pauciflora(Rose) A.Berger
  • Cotyledon pauciflora(Rose) Fedde

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.

Contents

Description

Dudleya pauciflora growing from a crevice Dudleya pauciflora 3.jpg
Dudleya pauciflora growing from a crevice

Dudleya pauciflora is a rosette-forming succulent plant that forms clumps by branching dichotomously. It is characterized by small, crowded rosettes, a colorful inflorescence with long pedicels, and small, red-marked yellow flowers. When compared to other congeners, the clustered rosettes resemble those of Dudleya abramsii , while the reddish flowers and inflorescence resemble that of Dudleya nubigena. Both Reid Moran and Joseph Nelson Rose suggested the possibility of a relationship between D. pauciflora and D. nubigena. [1]

Morphology

The caudex is short, measuring 0.7–2.5 cm (0.28–0.98 in) thick, and densely clothed with persistent dried leaves. The caudex branches caespitosely, forming clumps of rosettes up to 3 dm (12 in) wide and containing up to 100 individual rosettes. When plants have densely crowded rosettes, the leaves are erect to ascending; when plants have few rosettes, the leaves are more spreading. The leaves may be green to farinose, shaped triangular-lanceolate, with a narrowly acute, apiculate tip. The leaves are 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) thick. [1]

The floral stems emerge in summer, the peduncle 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) thick, red, and glaucous. The stems are bare of leaves in their lower portions, but have 8 to 30 bracts above. The bracts are ascending, shaped triangular-lanceolate, the lowermost 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) long. The cyme is composed of 2 to 3 bifurcate or simple branches. The terminal branches are circinate, unfurling like the frond of a fern, and in age become nearly erect. The terminal branches have 2 to 16 flowers, which open at intervals of 2 to 5 days. The pedicels are red and mostly erect, although at first ascending, or rarely pendent, the first one usually 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) long. [1]

Dudleya pauciflora 337765937.jpg Dudleya pauciflora 337765947.jpg
The flowers of Dudleya pauciflora in the Sierra de San Borja

The flowers mostly open from July to September. Flower parts usually number in 5. The calyx is red, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long, with deltoid segments. The corolla is pentagonal, 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long. The petals are yellow within, while the keels are flushed with red, giving an orange or reddish appearance to the corolla. The petals are shaped oblong, with acute tips, 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) wide. [1]

Taxonomy

Taxonomic history

Townshend Stith Brandegee, a noted botanist and explorer of the Baja California Peninsula, collected this plant in May 1893, at a locality some 200 km south of the United States-Mexico border in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir. Brandegee was one of the first botanists to explore this range, which is the highest on the peninsula. [2] As his specimen was collected in May, he was too early to witness the flowers, since this species blooms from July to September. His specimen only contained dry floral stems from the previous season. [1]

Dr. Joseph Nelson Rose, in his revision of the North American Crassulaceae with Nathaniel Lord Britton, named this plant from Brandegee's specimen. Working with only the dried floral stems, the name pauciflora, meaning "few-flowered," was applied. Reid Moran noted that the species does not, in fact, have notably few flowers, but that the epithet was a result of the poor type specimen Rose was working off of. [1]

Two homotypic synonyms exist for Dudleya pauciflora. In 1904, German botanist Friedrich Karl Georg Fedde, in the botanical yearbook Just's Botanischer Jahresbericht, recombined all Dudleya back into Cotyledon , but retained the new species created by Britton and Rose, thus creating Cotyledon pauciflora. [3] In 1930, German botanist Alwin Berger, who worked within the Engler system of plant taxonomy, recombined a number of the new species created by Britton and Rose into Echeveria , creating Echeveria pauciflora. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Dudleya pauciflora occurs at high elevations in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir and the Sierra de San Borja, in Baja California. Occurrences of D. pauciflora can be found from 1,250 m (4,100 ft) to the peak of the San Pedro Mártir, the Picacho del Diablo, at up to 3,025 m (9,925 ft). 240 km (150 mi) to the south-southeast, in the Sierra de San Borja, this species is found on the highest peak in the range, the Cerro la Sandia. [1] [5] [6]

See also

Montane species of Dudleya on the Baja California Peninsula:

Related Research Articles

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

Dudleya, commonly known as liveforevers is a genus of rosette-forming succulent plants in the stonecrop family, Crassulaceae, consisting of about 68 taxa in southwestern North America and Guadalupe Island. The species come in many forms, some large and evergreen, others geophytic and deciduous. Yet, despite their dramatic variations in appearance, most species readily hybridize. The flowers of Dudleya have parts numbered in fives, with the petals arranged in tubular, star-shaped, and bell-shaped forms and, when fruiting, are filled with tiny, ovoid-crescent-shaped seeds.

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

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.

<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 farinosa</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya farinosa is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by several common names, including bluff lettuce, powdery liveforever, and powdery dudleya. A coastal plant of northern California and southern Oregon, it is typically found on ocean bluffs just directly above the reach of the waves, and sometimes inland. Its appearance is characterized by lotus-like rosettes of beveled leaves, and in summer the plant erects a tall pink to red peduncle densely covered in bracts, topped with branches of pale yellow flowers. The green or white rosettes of this plant can be seen covering stretches of rocky coast and nearby islets.

<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 ingens</i> Species of succulent

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.

<i>Dudleya rigida</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae

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.

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

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.

<i>Dudleya pachyphytum</i> Species of succulent plant from Mexico

Dudleya pachyphytum is an insular succulent plant known by the common name Cedros Island liveforever. It is a member of the genus Dudleya, in the family Crassulaceae. Characterized by thick, blunt leaves covered in a white, powdery wax and adorned by white flowers in bloom, it is regarded as one of the most attractive and charismatic members of its genus. It is endemic to the foggy northern end of Mexico's Cedros Island, occupying an ecological niche shared with the Cedros Island Pine.

<i>Dudleya rubens</i> Succulent plant species from Baja California Sur

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.

<i>Dudleya candida</i> Succulent plant from Mexican islands in the Pacific

Dudleya candida is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common names Coronados liveforever or chalk rose. It is a rosette-forming, green to white-colored leaf succulent, and in bloom yellow flowers atop red stalks stand above the foliage. It has some visual similarities to the mainland Dudleya brittonii, and has found uses in horticulture as an ornamental plant. It is restricted to the Coronado Islands, an island group off of the extreme northern Baja California coast, visible from the United States.

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

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. It is characterized by showy bright-yellow flowers on an upright inflorescence colored pink, red or orange. The leaves are green or covered in a white, powdery wax. This species is found growing in rocky slopes, canyons, and crevices, and often on Sonoran Desert sky islands.

<i>Dudleya nubigena</i> Species of succulent plant from Mexico

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.

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

Dudleya abramsii subsp. abramsii is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name as Abrams' liveforever. It is a small, delicate plant found growing among rocks, and is characterized by yellow flowers with a red tinge that emerge from May to July. It is native to the southern Sierra Nevada of California and the Peninsular Ranges across both the United States and Mexico.

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

Dudleya albiflora, known by the common name white-flower liveforever, is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to the Baja California Peninsula. This species represents numerous populations with varying chromosome numbers scattered around the peninsula, but all share broad, common morphological traits such as white flowers and narrow leaves.

<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, chalky 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 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>Nolina beldingii</i> Species of plant native to Mexico

Nolina beldingii is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae known commonly as the Cape nolina or Belding's beargrass. It is an arborescent monocot growing up to 7 metres (23 ft) high, with fissured bark on a trunk topped with leaf rosettes. The narrow leaves are up to 1.15 m (3.8 ft) long, and are used as thatching by local peoples. This species is endemic to Baja California Sur in Mexico, where it grows only in the highest reaches of the Sierra de la Laguna. It is found primarily in oak forests at elevations over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) along rocky granite outcrops.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Moran, Reid. "Dudleya pauciflora". Cactus & Succulent Journal of America. 60: 219.
  2. Brandegee, Townshend Stith (1893). "Southern extensions of California flora". Zoe. 4: 199–210.
  3. Fedde, Friedrich Karl George (1904). "Die neuen Arten der phanerogamen". Just's Botanischer Jahresbericht. 31 (1).
  4. Berger, Alwin (1930). Engler, Heinrich Gustav Adolf; Prantl, Karl Anton Eugen (eds.). Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien. Vol. 18a (2 ed.). W. Engelmann.
  5. Rebman, Jon P.; Gibson, Judy; Rich, Karen (15 November 2016). "ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE VASCULAR PLANTS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO" (PDF). Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 45. San Diego Natural History Museum via San Diego Plant Atlas & San Diego Natural History Museum.
  6. "Dudleya pauciflora". Tropicos. Archived from the original on 2021-08-17.