Calycadenia villosa DC.

Last Addition: June 29, 1999

Each "thumbnail" image below is linked to a larger photograph.

Calycadenia villosa is a rare white-flowered (fading pink) species occupying some of the harshest habitats found in the South Coast Range.  Two rather distinctive forms are known.  One, "villosa," is erect and sparingly branched and has showy heads with rays very unequally lobed. The other, "depressa," is more profusely branched, lacks a dominant central axis, and has smaller heads with the ray corollas more evenly lobed than those of "villosa."  These distinctions may blur as additional populations are studied.  The chromosome number is n = 7.   Natural interspecific hybridization is unknown.  Artificial interspecific hybrids between C. villosa and C. hooveri, C. mollis, C. truncata, and Osmadenia tenella have been produced.

cal_vil_pots.jpg (10587 bytes) Comparison of Greenhouse-grown progeny of the two forms of C. villosa, left - "villosa" from Monterrey County, right - "depressa" from San Luis Obispo County.  Plants in the field are generally much more depauperate than this.
cal_vil_fls.jpg (8989 bytes) cal_vil_d_fls.jpg (8914 bytes)
Comparison of ray and disk florets of greenhouse-grown plants of "villosa" (left) and "depressa" (right).  Note differences in size of florets and in shape of the ray corolla lobes.
cal_vil_habitats.jpg (11154 bytes) cal_vil_habs.jpg (14989 bytes) cal_vil_gls.jpg (9682 bytes) cal_vil_hds.jpg (9187 bytes)
"villosa" 1 - Habitat in Monterrey County, 2 - A typical plant in the field, 3 - View of head showing peduncular bracts, note shape and the presence of a single tack-shaped gland restricted to the tip of each bract, 4 - View of head showing shape of ray corolla lobes.

Calycadenia Access Page
Home Page