2. Rhinotropis californica (Nuttall) J. R. Abbott, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas. 5: 134. 2011.
[E]
California milkwort
Polygala californica Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 671. 1840
Herbs, sometimes suffrutescent, multi-stemmed, often forming a ground cover, 0.5–3.5 dm. Stems laxly erect, decumbent, or prostrate, pubescent to subglabrous, hairs incurved. Leaves sessile or subsessile; blade ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 7–50(–60) × 3–20(–26) mm, base usually rounded to acute, sometimes cuneate, apex rounded to acute, surfaces pubescent, hairs incurved. Racemes terminal or leaf-opposed, 1–4(–5) × 1.8–3 cm; rachis not thorn-tipped; peduncle 0–1 cm; bracts early deciduous, linear to lanceolate. Pedicels (2.5–)3.5–8.5 mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous. Cleistogamous or semi-cleistogamous flowers often present terminally, on much reduced scale-leaved lateral branches from proximal (or distal) leaf axils, or terminally on leafy branches that are often leaf-opposed. Flowers usually pink, rarely white, keel distally yellow (fading white), (2.5–)9–14.5 mm, cleistogamous and semi-cleistogamous flowers mostly 2.5–5 mm, intergrading with chasmogamous flowers; sepals deciduous, elliptic, 4–6.5 mm, pubescent or glabrous; wings obovate, (7.5–)8–12 × 2.5–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; keel (7–)8–11 mm, sac glabrous (sometimes proximally ciliate), beak oblong, (1.2–)1.6–3 × 0.7–1 mm (mostly absent in cleistogamous flowers), usually notched or contorted abaxially, rarely subentire, pubescent. Capsules ellipsoid to ovoid, 7.3–10.5 × 4.5–7 mm, in cleistogamous and semi-cleistogamous flowers 4.5–8 mm, base obtuse, rounded, or subtruncate, margins with narrow, entire or slightly erose wing, glabrous, margins sometimes ciliolate. Seeds 3.5–6 mm, densely pubescent; aril 1.7–4 mm, less than 1/2 length of seed. 2n = 18.
Flowering spring–summer. Rocky or clay soils, deep duff, rich soils, serpentine soils, slopes or drainages, full sun to deep shade, open habitat, chaparral, mixed evergreen forests, oak woodlands, coniferous forests; 10–1400 m; Calif., Oreg.
Rhinotropis californica occurs in western California and Oregon.
Cleistogamous and semi-cleistogamous flowers can appear earlier than chasmogamous flowers. Their flowers, fruits, and seeds are similar to those of chasmogamous flowers, but typically are smaller and without the keel beak.