Navarretia crystallina L.A.Johnson & D.Gowen, 2016

Johnson, Leigh A., Gowen, David, Johnson, Robert L., Brabazon, Holly & Goates, Emily D., 2016, Navarretia crystallina and N. miwukensis (Polemoniaceae): new species endemic to California with affinity for soils derived from pyroclastic deposits, Phytotaxa 257 (3), pp. 249-260 : 253-256

Navarretia crystallina L.A.Johnson & D.Gowen , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 )

A species similar to Navarretia divaricata and N. prolifera in habit and branching; from N. prolifera , it differs by having smaller flowers with anthers near the orifice and style included; from N. divaricata it differs by the inflorescence being densely long hairy, somewhat larger corollas with longer filaments, and usually having the veins in the lobes and throat colored pink to red; from both species it differs in having tight, spherical, inflorescence heads not readily disarticulated into smaller cymose flower clusters.

TYPE: — U.S.A. California: Calaveras County, Along Hwy 4 at 5000 ft elevation marker and marquee for east end of Big Trees State Park ; north side of road, 38.28769° N 120.30037° W, 4 June 2014, L. A. Johnson, R. L. Johnson, Brabazon, & Goates 14-063 (holotype BRY!; isotypes JEPS! RSA!).

Taprooted annuals commonly 3–12(–18) cm tall and 2–15(–30) cm wide. Primary stem erect, generally exceeded in length by secondary stems, with tertiary, and quaternary stems occasionally present; branches ascending to spreading and ± leafless, except for leaves subtending higher order branches; primary stem (terminating in a head) (0)2–5(8) cm, secondary stems (branches) 1–10 in number, 0.1–6.5 cm, tertiary branches 0.1–4.5 cm, quaternary branches 0.1–2 cm; tertiary and quaternary branches usually arising directly below or within 1 cm of an inflorescence head; stem and branches reddish-brown, sparsely minutely stipitate-glandular puberulent, the trichomes generally less than 0.25 mm long. Cotyledons two, linear, entire, united at base. Leaves stipitate-glandular puberulent with trichome density and length greatest on the proximal, adaxial surface; leaves at the lowermost 1–2(–3) nodes opposite, linear-filiform, and widened at the point of stem attachment, the proximal nodes often congested with overlapping leaf bases. More distal leaves alternate, entire, or more commonly with 1–3 pairs of linear lobes 1–5(–7) mm long attached along the proximal 3(–5) mm of the leaf, with an elongated, linear terminal segment 1–3 cm long (leaves with lobes along the proximal 1.2 cm of the leaf uncommon; these with lobes alternating, rather than oppositely paired). Inflorescences densely white hairy, obscurely glandular, not viscid. Inflorescence bracts: outermost 1–2 similar to upper leaves; bracts grade centripetally to having a wide, convex-clasping achlorophyllous and membranous-margined rachis, densely long-shaggy pubescent along the margin, adaxial surface of the bract lobes near their attachment with the rachis, and somewhat on the abaxial rachis base; bracts bear ~ 3 pairs of chlorophyllous lateral lobes co-planer with the central, elongate terminal lobe (short, abaxially diverging lobes on either side of the terminal lobe occasionally present); lobes entire, sparsely short-stipitate glandular to almost glabrous; inner bract gradation continues with the rachis widening further, the abaxial rachis surface densely covered in shaggy trichomes, and the lateral bract lobes, reduced to 2 pairs or even 1 pair, departing from the distal rachis edge; bract lobes long tapering acute, commonly becoming reddish brown with age and may gently recurve. Inflorescences, 1–18(–50) in number, head like, ± spherical, (5–)10(–13) mm in diameter exclusive of bract tips; cymes, composed of a bract and 1 or 2 flowers, subsessile and tightly packed in heads; flowers generally fewer than 20 per head. Flowers: calyces mostly 5.5–8.75 mm long, tube ~ 3mm, costae strongly to somewhat unequal with typically two lobes longer than the other three, lobes entire, long tapering acute, costae narrowing proximally, narrower at base than the intercostal membrane which is v-shaped at sinus, obscured by dense shaggy hairs on the abaxial calyx tube and adaxial lobes at the tube-lobe junction; corolla narrowly funnel form, glabrous, 5.0–7.0 mm long, lobes 0.9–1.2(–1.4) mm long × 0.6–1.0 mm wide, tube and lower throat yellow, upper throat and lobes pink to white, veins in throat often darkened, tube base expanding and adhering to the fruit apex. Stamen filaments 0.4–0.95(–1.3) mm long, inserted unequally to subequally 0.3–0.8(–1.1) mm below corolla sinuses, included in throat to exserted less than half the length of the corolla lobes; pollen white, apertures pantoporate, acolpate; sexine seimitectate, reticulate, heterobrochate. Ovary three-chambered, style 3–4.1 mm long, stigmatic lobes ~ 0.3 mm long, included in corolla throat. Capsule ~ 2.5 mm long, dehiscing circumcisally around the base with valves splitting upward, leaving capsule base attached to receptacle inside calyx. Seeds generally 2–4 per locule, medium brown (hue 5YR, value 3, chroma 3), ovoid-angular, ca. 1.1–1.35 mm long × 0.6–0.8 mm wide, mucilaginous when wet.

Habitat, Distribution, and Phenology:— Navarretia crystallina occurs in open, sparsely vegetated pyroclastic derived soils often with a gently sloping terrain. This taxon is presently known from Placer, El Dorado, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties, California at elevations from 1350–2200 meters, and blooms primarily in June (late May–early July).

Etymology:— This specific epithet, referring in Latin to ice or rock-crystal, references the first collection of this plant by the primary author along Ice House Canyon road, located some 20 km to the west of the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Additional specimens examined:— U.S.A. California: Calaveras County, near Big Trees , 19 June 1940, Eastwood & Howell 8586 ( CAS!) ; 3.5 miles west of Camp Connell on Summit Level Road , 1585 m, 8 June 1987, Breedlove, Bourell, & Patterson 66147 ( CAS!) ; El Dorado County, 2–3 miles northeast of Riverton, along Ice House Road , 4000 ft, 11 June 1944, Robbins 1672 (Jeps! UC!) ; Along abandoned road heading west and upslope from Ice House Road, 6.4 miles from junction with Hwy 50, just north of Peavine Ridge Road , 38.79754°N, 1240287°W, 1596 m, 30 May 2013, Johnson 13-216 (BRY!, JEPS!, RSA!) ; Ridgetop and south-facing slope overlooking Peavine Ridge Road at northwest corner of junction between Icehouse Road and Peavine Ridge Road, 6.4 miles along Icehouse Road from junction with Hwy 50, 38.79726°N, 120.40299°W, 1596 m, 26 June 2013 Johnson, Johnson, & Yankee 13-246 (BRY!, JEPS!, RSA!) ; 0.3–0.4 miles from Icehouse road along a dirt 4WD road located southeast of Icehouse Road, 0.3 miles northeast of junction with Peavine Ridge Road , 38.79545°N, 120.39105W, 1584 m, 26 June 2013, Johnson, Johnson, & Yankee 13-252 ( BRY!) ; North side of Granite Springs Road on exposed volcanic gravelly ridge, about 0.5–0.6 miles from Icehouse Road , 38.80076°N, 120.38674°W, 1670 m, 26 June 2013, Johnson, Johnson, & Yankee 13-264 ( BRY!) ; Northeast of Riverton and Hwy 50 on Peavine Ridge Road , about 0.5 mile west from its junction with Ice House Road , 38°47.693’N, 120°24.713’W, 5266 ft, 20 June 2013, Gowen 1215 (BRY! JEPS!) ; Northeast of Riverton and Hwy 50 on Peavine Ridge Road about 2.7 miles form its junction with Ice House Road , 38°48.165’N, 120°26.63’W, 5162 ft, 21 June 2013, Gowen 1227 (BRY! JEPS!) ; Placer County, 0.4 miles west northwest of Mammoth Springs, Tahoe Natl. Forest , Colfax Quad. , 5600 ft, 21 June 1934, Nordstrom 150 (LA, JEPS! UC!) ; 1.5 miles east of Emigrant Gap, along U.S. Highway 40, on slopes above road cut, 5400 ft, 21 July 1953, Crampton 1516 (BRY! AHUC! mixed collection with N. divaricata ) ; Martis Valley, ca. 5 miles southeast of Truckee , west of 267, 39.2873°N, 120.1068°W, 6200 ft, 12 June 2005, Matson 1271 ( JEPS!) ; South facing slope of pyroclastic flow overlooking the North Fork of the American River , just off Sawtooth Ridge Road ca. 1.1 mile west of Dawson Spring , 39.21789°N, 120.62223°W, 1671 m, 3 June 2014, Johnson et al. 14-030 (BRY! JEPS! RSA!) ; Tuolumne County, East end of North Mountain , Yosemite National Park , North mountain ridge mud flow, 10 Jun 1941, Mason 12484 ( UC!) ; West of Strawberry growing in open area near trailer dump station, 29 May 2007, Gowen 739 ( JEPS!) ; Along Hwy 108 just west of Strawberry in a large open area east of the road to the trailer dump station, 38°11.094’N, 120°0.708’W, 28 June 2013, Gowen 1232 (BRY!, JEPS!) ; Strawberry Ridge, 26 June 1938, Quick s.n. (CAS 280487!) ; Along Hwy 108 between Cold Springs and Longbarn, near FS road at BM 5565, 38°8.864’N, 120°4.876’W, 28 June 2013, Gowen 1234 (BRY! JEPS!) ; North side of Hwy 108 at junction with road 3N39 on lava cap, 38.14766°N, 120.0816°W, 1672 m, 5 June 2014, Johnson et al. 14-100 (BRY! JEPS! RSA!) ; Just south of Hwy 108 at junction with forest service road 4N12, in vicinity of forest service signage, 38.20996°N, 120.01438°W, 1788 m, 5 June 2014, Johnson et al. 14-102 ( BRY!) ; East of the Punch Bowl, north side of road 4N12 ca. 5.4 miles east northeast from junction with Hwy 108, 38.23862°N, 119.9496°W, 2178 m, 5 June 2014, Johnson et al. 14-107 (BRY! JEPS!) ; Lava cap southwest of Bert Reed’s Meadow , 27 June 1942, Quick 42-26 ( CAS!) ; Along road 4N39, 0.3 km northeast of Strawberry Peak and 1.3 km southwest of its junction with Hwy 108, 38°11’56”N, 120°01’43”W, 1806 m, 27 June 2010, Janeway & Castro 10053 ( CHSC!) ; Just below the westfacing top of the ridge on southeast side of the head of Sugarpine Creek ( Stoddard Sprint ) 200 meters southeast of Hwy 108, 38°07’46”N, 120°05’57”W, 1649 m, 28 June 2010, Janeway & Castro 10069 ( CHSC!) ; East of Long Barn and Hwy 108, on 3N07 about 1.8 miles south of its junction with 3N01, 38.05885°N, 120.11033°W, 5471 ft, 3 June 2014, Gowen 1261 (BRY! JEPS!) ; North of Hwy 108 about 1.5 miles down Lyons Dam Road , 38.09145°N, 120.1619°W, 4572 ft, 4 June 2014, Gowen 1265 (BRY! JEPS!) ; Same location as Gowen 1265, 5 June 2014, Johnson et al. 14-098 ( BRY!) ; Northeastern border of Calaveras Big Trees State Park, along Forest road 5N78 near junction with Forest Road 5N03, 38.26798°N, 120.24987°W, 4900 ft, 22 June 2005, Taylor 19538 ( CHSC!) .

Notes:—Fresh plants of Navarretia crystallina are faintly skunky in odor, with the scent more pronounced when concentrated, for example, by placing plants in a plastic bag. N. divaricata subsp. divaricata , in contrast, has no such odor. The pollen sexine sculpturing in N. crystallina is shared with N. miwukensis and many other species, including N. divaricata and N. prolifera subsp. prolifera .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Navarretia crystallina.A. Pressed specimen showing plant habit, scale bar = 1 cm (Johnson et al, 14-100, BRY). B. Flowering individual in the field, scale bar = 1 cm (Johnson et al. 14-030, BRY). C. Pressed flower and inflorescence bract showing trichomes and lobe shape, scale bar = 5 mm (Johnson et al. 14-098, BRY). D–E. Inflorescence heads showing fresh flowers, anther presentation, and bracts, scale bar = 5 mm (Johnson et al. 14-102, BRY). All photographs by L. A. Johnson.