Quill Leaf Lewisia

Lewisia leeana is known only from northwestern California and southwesternmost Oregon, and a disjunct population in Fresno County, California. As discussed by B. Mathew (1989b), Lewisia ×whiteae Purdy (California) is a natural, constantly recurring hybrid between L. leeana and L. cotyledon. In their narrowly spatulate leaves, the hybrids resemble L. columbiana out of range (cf. L. T. Dempster 1993); the flowers are reportedly more deeply colored.

Taproots gradually ramified distally. Stems spreading or suberect, 8-20 cm. Leaves: basal leaves evergreen, sessile, blade linear, ± terete, 1.5-6 cm, margins entire, apex obtuse; cauline leaves alternate, intergrading with bracts, blade narrowly lanceolate, 5 mm, margins entire, apex acute. Inflorescences paniculate cymes, 50-70(-100)-flowered; bracts several, alternate proximally, 2 at each flowering node distally, ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 2-5 mm, margins glandular-toothed, apex acute. Flowers pedicellate, not disarticulate in fruit; sepals 2, suborbiculate, 1-4 mm, herbaceous at anthesis, margins glandular-toothed, apex truncate; petals 5-8, magenta, lavender, or white with or without magenta veins, obovate, 5-7 mm; stamens 4-8; stigmas 2; pedicel 3-15 mm. Capsules 4-5 mm. Seeds 1-2, 2-2.5 mm, shiny, smooth. 2n = 14.

Calif., Oreg.

Flowering summer.

Open north- or northwest-facing granitic or serpentine slopes or cliffs; 1300-3400m.

Calandrinia leeana Porter, Bot. Bull. (Hanover) 1: 49. 1876 (as leana); Lewisia eastwoodiana Purdy; Oreobroma leeanum (Porter) Howell