Species: Stephanomeria minor var. minor (Hook.) Nutt.

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Stephanomeria minor var. minor (Hook.) Nutt.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Asteraceae or Compositae

Genus:

Stephanomeria

Species Synonyms:

Stephanomeria tenuifolia (Raf.) Hall

Common Names:

narrowleaf wirelettuce
narrow-leaved rush-pink

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia, southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

open, dry, rocky places

Associated speceis:

Artemisia cana, Calamagrostis sp., Chamaerhodos erecta, Iva axillaris, Opuntia polyacantha

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Stephanomeria minor var. minor is endangered in part because it is very difficult to tell from Lygodesmia and Shinnersoseris in the field and is likely somewhat underreported.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

20 – 50 cm

Roots:

rhizomes deep, creeping

Stems:

glabrous, latex white

Leaves:

cauline, alternate, to 8 cm long, < 3 mm wide, uppermost leaves reduced and bract-like, appearing whorled in leaf-axils, linear to filiform, glabrous to puberulent, entire to slightly toothed, lower leaves dentate

Inflorescence:

heads single or clustered, terminal, ligulate; phyllaries 7 – 10 mm tall

Flowers:

ligulate florets 5, fertile, corolla pink

Fruits:

achenes 4 – 6 mm tall, ribbed but smooth; pappus plumose, whitish

STEPHANOMERIA FROM MORPHOLICALLY SIMILAR SPECIES IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Pappus simple; lower leaves entire	2
1 Pappus plumose; lower leaves toothed or divided	3

2 Perennial; branching pattern appearing irregular from the top; latex yellowish-green; leaves reduced, usually less than 5 cm and scale-like; phyllaries usually 5; pappus brown	Lygodesmia juncea
2 Annual; branching pattern appearing dichotomous from the top; latex white; leaves 5 – 20 cm long; phyllaries usually 7 – 9; pappus white,	Shinnersoseris rostrata

3 Plants < 30 cm tall; leaves not linear; margin runcinate-pinnatifed; achenes rugose-tuberculate	Stephanomeria runcinata
3 Plants 20 – 50 cm tall; leaves linear-filiform; margin entire to toothed; achenes ribbed but smooth	Stephanomeria minor var. minor