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northern kittentail

Ritters' kittentail

Leaves

persistent, some withering in 2d year as new leaves expand;

blade ovate to cordate, 25+ mm wide, not leathery, base lobate, margins laciniate, teeth apices rounded, surfaces villous, hairs prominent on margins;

basal veins extending into distal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 2–4 on each side of midvein.

strictly annual, disintegrating in 1st year;

blade broadly elliptic to lanceolate, 25+ mm wide, leathery, base truncate to tapered, margins crenate, teeth apices acute to rounded, surfaces hairy;

basal veins extending through proximal 1/2 of blade, lateral veins 5–12 on each side of midvein.

Racemes

erect, to 15 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 3+, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

flowers 15–50, loosely aggregated.

erect, to 40 cm in fruit;

sterile bracts 10–40, ovate-spatulate, largest 1+ cm;

flowers 100+, densely aggregated (separating in fruit).

Stamens

epipetalous.

inserted on receptacle, but abaxial and adaxial petal lips basally adnate to stamens.

Ovaries

ovules 10–16.

glabrous or sparsely hairy at apex;

ovules 17–40.

Capsules

hairy.

glabrous.

Sepals

4.

4.

Petals

(3 or)4(or 5), apex entire or erose;

corolla blue, ± regular, campanulate, much longer than calyx, glabrous, tube conspicuous.

3(or 4), apex entire or erose;

corolla yellow, bilabiate, ellipsoid, longer than calyx, puberulent on margins, lateral and abaxial petals of abaxial lip connate 1/2+ their lengths, abaxial and adaxial petal lips basally adnate to stamens, tube absent.

2n

= 24.

Synthyris borealis

Synthyris ritteriana

Phenology Flowering May–Jul; fruiting May–Sep. Flowering May–Aug; fruiting Jun–Oct.
Habitat Tundra heaths, fellfields, talus slopes. Moist subalpine or alpine meadows.
Elevation 200–2500 m. (700–8200 ft.) 2100–3800 m. (6900–12500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; NT; YT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO
Discussion

Synthyris borealis is distributed primarily in unglaciated portions of the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Synthyris ritteriana is known from the San Juan and La Plata mountains, and adjacent areas of Gunnison and Montrose counties on San Juan and Hansen tuffs.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 299. FNA vol. 17, p. 303.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Synthyris Plantaginaceae > Synthyris
Sibling taxa
S. alpina, S. bullii, S. canbyi, S. cordata, S. dissecta, S. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. ritteriana, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
S. alpina, S. borealis, S. bullii, S. canbyi, S. cordata, S. dissecta, S. laciniata, S. lanuginosa, S. missurica, S. oblongifolia, S. pinnatifida, S. plantaginea, S. platycarpa, S. ranunculina, S. reniformis, S. rubra, S. schizantha, S. wyomingensis
Synonyms Veronica alaskensis Besseya ritteriana, Veronica ritteriana
Name authority Pennell: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 85: 88, fig. 1. (1933) Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 1: 123, plate 9, fig. 2. (1898)
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