Navarretia furnissii L.A.Johnson & L.M.Chan, 2012

Johnson, Leigh A., Chan, Lauren M., Burr, Kirsti & Hendrickson, Dallin, 2012, Navarretia furnissii (Polemoniaceae), a new diploid species from the intermountain western United States distinguished from tetraploid Navarretia saximontana, Phytotaxa 42, pp. 51-61 : 56-58

Navarretia furnissii L.A.Johnson & L.M.Chan , spec. nov. ( Fig. 3A, D–H ).

Species with affinity to N. saximontana S.C.Spencer , but distinguished by being diploid (rather than tetraploid); in having a majority of calyces with one or two lobes 2–3 pronged (rather than most calyces with all lobes entire and only occasionally one or two lobes 2–3 pronged); having corollas less than 4.7 mm (rather than greater than 4.8 mm); and ovules 6 or fewer (rather than 6–12).

Type:— U.S.A. Utah: Summit County, in open, disturbed spaces in a sagebrush framed meadow between Hwy 150 and the Beaver Creek picnic area, ca. 0.2 miles east of mile marker 8, 40.62242° N, 111.14703° W, 2187 m; 7 July 2005, L. A. Johnson & C. L. Johnson 05-197 (holotype BRY!, isotypes NY!, RM!, RSA!, UC!) .

Annual plants, 1.0–6.5(–9.0) cm tall and wide, the primary head caulescent, generally with 1–10(–20+) secondary or tertiary heads at the tips of spreading or ascending lateral branches. Stem and branches yellowish green to reddish brown, puberulent to glandular-puberulent with the largest trichomes retrorse, uniseriate multicellular. Cotyledons linear. Lower leaves opposite or alternate with linear segments, glabrous to puberulent, 8–17(–30) mm long, with up to 6 entire or 2–3 pronged lobes on each side of the rachis. Upper leaves alternate, acerose, 5–15 mm long; the rachis glabrous to puberulent or glandular-puberulent and 2–6 mm long, the primary lobes 3–5 on each side of the rachis, glabrous, the lowermost often simple, the remainder generally 2–4 pronged. Outer bracts similar to upper leaves but 5–10 mm long; the widened rachis at the base 1.5–4.0 mm long, the primary lobes ca. 3 per side, generally 2–4 pronged, the apex 3-pronged. Inner bracts smaller, with an expanded, clasping, ciliate membranous-margined base (membrane narrower than the rachis). Flowering heads mostly 6–10 mm long, of 1–several cymules of ± 3 subsessile flowers. Calyx (4.7–)5.5–6.8(–7.5) mm long; the tube membranous, puberulent and obscurely glandular between ribs, 2.1–3.1 mm long, with 3–4 celled unbranched trichomes at orifice and on the adaxial rib surface at the membrane rib junction; the lobes 5, glabrous, acerose, the two longest lobes 3–5 mm, one or both usually 2–3 pronged, the three shorter lobes 1.5–3.2 mm and simple. Corolla funnelform, white, (3.7–)3.9–4.5(–4.7) mm long, not exceeding the longest calyx lobes; lobes oblong, (0.5–)0.6–0.8(–0.9) mm long and 0.4–0.7 mm wide, each with a single, generally unbranched vein. Stamen filaments (0.25–)0.40–0.70(–0.80) mm long and inserted (0.3–)0.4–0.7(–0.9) mm below sinuses; anthers positioned at throat orifice or slightly exserted, but not to tips of corolla lobes; pollen deep yellow. Ovary oblong, 2 celled; the style (2.0–)2.2–2.5(–2.8) mm long; the stigma 2-lobed. Capsule 1.7–2.3 mm long, short apiculate, membranous, indehiscent at maturity. Seeds (2–)4–6, medium to dark brown, ovid-angular, 1.1–1.6 mm long, reticulate-pitted, mucilaginous when wet. Diploid.

Habitat, distribution, and phenology:— Navarretia furnissii occurs in seasonally moist pockets, vernal depressions, margins of pools, and open areas among grasses, forbs, and sagebrush in aspen communities in the Rocky Mountain floristic area (McLaughlin 1989). Presently known populations are concentrated in the Wasatch and Caribou Mountain Ranges of Utah and Idaho and consist of hundreds or thousands of individuals each. Range and population sizes suggest this species is not of conservation concern.

Flowering occurs primarily in July (June–August), with mature capsules retained within calyces after plants have senesced. Similar to N. saximontana as reported by Spencer & Spencer (2003), the capsule is ruptured by seeds swelling from autumn rains within intact, or shattered, flowering heads. Seed germination proceeds following a short period of moist chilling (1–3 weeks at 4°C in a laboratory setting).

Etymology:— Navarretia furnissii is named to honor Blaine Furniss, retired professor of Botany at Brigham Young University. Professor Furniss was the primary author's first botanical mentor and is responsible for instilling an appreciation for botany and a sense of wonder in countless students in subjects ranging from field botany to plant diversity, anatomy, morphology, classification, and evolution through his many years of service as an instructor at BYU.

Notes:—The earliest observed collection of this species is from Dry Lake, Cache County, Utah on 16 August 1897, J. H. Linford s.n. ( US 960549; mounted on sheet with several collections of N. intertexta ). No herbarium sheets were observed or populations visited by the authors that indicate co-occurrence with N. saximontana ; however, based on herbarium data, the two species occur a maximum of 32 and 56 kilometers apart in Idaho and Colorado, respectively. Navarretia furnissii grows interspersed with N. intertexta and N. breweri at some locations in Utah, and N. leucocephala subsp. leucocephala has been collected in the vicinity of N. furnissii at Dry Lake in northern Utah.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— U.S.A. Colorado: Routt County, Elkhead Mountains, N of Dry Fork Elkhead Creek, ca 1 airmile SW of Elkhead , grassy bottom of draw, elev. 6920–7040 ft, 29 June 2000, Nelson 50147 ( RM) . Idaho: Bear Lake County, Georgetown Canyon , 16 August 1932, Ray J. Davis 183-32 ( IDS) . Bingham County, NW end of Sheep Mt. , 38 air mi N of Soda Springs, open areas of grassy meadow, elev. 6700 ft, 15 July 1971, Holmgren & Martala 5433 ( CAS, US, UTC) . Bonneville County, Grays Lake vicinity, West Side Road , margins of small roadside marsh, elev. 1955 m, 13 July 2009, Johnson 09-075 ( BRY, UC, RSA) ; Grays Lake vicinity, Homer Valley, S of junction of Grays Lake Road and Long Valley Road , roadside clay soils, elev. 1946 m, 13 July 2009, Johnson 09-077 ( BRY, UC, RSA, IDS) ; Caribou National Forest, Caribou Basin, at junction of McCoy Creek Road and NF-164, dried mud, elev. 1946 m, 13 July 2009, Johnson 09-078 ( BRY) . Caribou County, Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area , sage habitat, late July 1997, Maroney 268 ( IDS) . Clark County, Targhee National Forest, Centennial Mountains , Cottonwood Creek area , ca 6.5 miles N of Kilgore, moist meadow, elev. 6700 ft, 4 July 1992, Markow 8608 ( RM) . Fremont County, Targhee National Forest, W slope Teton range, Cart Hollow , about 3 air miles NE of Lamont, Lodge pole pine forests with scattered meadows and wet areas, elev. 6200–6300 ft, 24 July 1991, Hartman & Molina 30299 ( RM) . Teton County, Targhee National Forest, W slope Teton range, McRenolds Reservoir , ca 8 air miles E of Lamont, openings adjacent to river, elev. 7000 ft, 28 July 1991, Hartman & Molina 30851 ( RM) . Utah: Cache County, Shore of Dry Lake , 8 July 1942, Maguire 21596 ( BRY) ; Summit, Jardine Canyon , on bare trampled clay in Artemisia community, 30 July 1935, Maguire 12562 ( BRY) ; Dry Lake, W side of Hwy 89 between Mantua and Wellsville, disturbed soils, elev. 1714 m, 13 July 2009, Johnson 09-073 ( BRY, RSA, UC) . Summit County, 7.6 mi along Hwy 150 E of Kamas, dry ground next to a meadow, elev. 2210 m, 7 July 1984, Goodrich 20811 ( BRY, UTC) ; Edge of dry pond E of Mill Creek, near Bear River , elev. 8200 ft, 19 August 1927, Goodman 316 ( RM) . Wasatch County, 15.5 mi E (79°) of Heber City, Little So. Fork Provo River , roadway in aspen-sagebrush, elev. 7500 ft, 11 Aug 1981, Goodrich 16902 ( BRY) ; By little South Fork Provo River , meadow sagebrush flat, elev. 7850 ft, 1 July 2004, Corbin & Page 1132 ( BRY) ; In drainages of sagebrush slopes adjacent to Hwy 32 from Heber to Kamas , ca 0.7 miles from mile marker 4, 19 July 2007, Johnson 07-069 ( BRY) ; Lodgepole Campground, Foreman Hollow , along trail and adjacent open areas among sagebrush, elev. 2449 m, 13 July 2007, Johnson 07-035 ( BRY) ; Telephone Hollow , S of Daniels Summit, dried drainage adjacent to restroom facility, 19 July 2007, Johnson 07-073 ( BRY) . Wyoming: Lincoln County, W slope Grayback Ridge near McCain Guard Station , Bridger Natl. Forest , elev 6880 ft, open meadow, spring edge and drying shore, 19 July 1979, Shultz & Shultz 3568 ( RSA, USFS, UTC) ; Bridger National Forest, Grays River vicinity, disturbed side of Grays River Road ca 1.5 miles W of Bull Hollow Road, elev. 1959 m, 14 July 2009, Johnson 09-080 ( BRY) ; Bridger National Forest, along abandoned road NE of Grays River Road ca. 4 miles S of Bull Hollow Road, elev. 2036 m, 14 July 2009, Johnson 09-081 ( BRY) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. A–C Flowers of Navarretia furnissii and related species, top and side views, scale bar = 5 mm. A. N. furnissii Johnson & Johnson 11-080. B. N. saximontana Johnson & Johnson 11-075. C. N. propinqua Johnson & Johnson 11-077. D–H. N. furnissii. D. corolla split open, and style/stigma, scale bar = 2 mm; Johnson & Johnson 05-197. E, F. Pollen grain, Johnson 07-069. E. scale bar = 10 µm. F. scale bar = 4µm. G–H. Johnson 09-073. G. scale bar = 1 cm. H. scale bar = 5 mm.