Mountain Kittentails, Tailed Kittentails
Synthyris missurica ssp. missurica
Synonym: Synthyris missurica var. missurica
The
photo at right shows the developing seed capsules of mountain kittentails from
the western edge of the Wenaha-Toucannon Wilderness of southeastern Washington..........late
June, 1998.
Mountain kittentails is a perennial wildflower about 10 to 60 cm tall. The leaves are mostly basal, although several small, reduced leaves may be found below the infloresence. The basal leaves are long petiolate with cordate bases, and either somewhat round in shape to somewhat kidney-shaped. The leaf blades are palmately veined and about 2.5 to 8 cm long and about as wide. The leaf margins are shallowly to deeply toothed, with individual teeth often posessing even smaller teeth.
The infloresence is elongate, with individual flowers having four sepals and four unequal corolla lobes. The individual petals are from 4 to 7 mm in length. The stem is often somewhat villous within the infloresence. The seed capsules are about 5 to 7 mm high and perhaps slightly wider. They are shallowly notched. See the photo at right above.
Subspecies missurica -
Subspecies stellata -
Mountain kittentails is found on moist open or shaded slopes from the foothills to well into the mountains.
Synthyris missurica is found from the Blue and Wallowa Mountains of southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, south through Lake County, Oregon into Modoc County, California, and north western and northern Idaho.
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