natural history and evolution of species complexes
This last spring (2015) I received a message on my blog post about Pyrola crypta from Barb Harbach of Larkspur, Colorado saying I have found a number of these plants in southern Douglas County, CO, in an area adjacent to Pike National Forest. They are just about to bloom-maybe within the week. One spot has …
Continue reading "Hypothesis revision & the importance of local knowledge"
One funny thing about Pyrola picta is that it co-occurs in most parts of its range with at least a couple of look-alikes! In fact, when looking for P. picta on past excursions, I've used the presence of these look-alike species as an indication that I'm getting hotter! Can you tell which of the images …
Common names for Pyrola picta Sm. include 'white-veined wintergreeen' and 'picture-leaf wintergreen', along with a few other variations on this theme. Photobleaching along the primary, secondary, and (to a lesser extent) tertiary veins in the leaf laminae can be quite striking against the ground, or appear camouflage in forests where light flecks created by the tree canopy …
Continue reading "Light flecks, camouflage, and look-alikes"
Last week I got an email from Ryan Batten, someone I have never met, saying "...I was pretty intrigued by your paper last year citing P. picta* and happy you were able to resolve it this year. I thought I would pass along the following record in case it is of interest as a range …
There are a few species of Pyrola that appear to have 'lost' their leaves! Perhaps the best known example of this condition is Pyrola aphylla Sm.. Plants of this species have highly reduced, apetiolate leaves arranged in basal rosettes just where you'd expect them to be-- at the base of each inflorescence!You might be thinking …
Continue reading "“Leafless” Pyrola: are they distinct species?"
Sarcodes sanguinea is a striking and relatively well known member of subfamily Monotropoideae that grows in California and southern Oregon (see below). On my last field trip to northern California in late May, this species was blooming in full force! The flowers of S. sanguinea are incredible. All perianth parts are bright red, just like …
What's new in the key? Well, I added some information on how to identify P. dentata, P. aphylla, and P. crypta, species that are currently missing from The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California (2nd edition) treatment by Gary D. Wallace & Erich Haber. Check it out! Genus Pyrola (Ericaceae) Habit: Perennial subshrub, evergreen, rhizomed. …
I am working on a project concerning Pyrola from the Pacific Northwest-- as justification for the recognition of a new species, I am comparing the nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies for PNW Pyrola picta (green), P. "crypta" (yellow), P. dentata (blue), and P. aphylla (red). At first I thought that samples falling at the base of …
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Hey all ya’ll! I am floating my research project on a crowd-sourced ‘kickstarter’ website in hopes to raise $20K for my research and I need your help to get the word out to everyone (feel free to RE-POST this message). I am posting to let you know that you have the opportunity to contribute any amount of funding to my research on rare, predominantly alpine plants and the effects of climate change on the montane flora of California and more broadly throughout North America. No donation will be charged unless I reach my goal, and all donations are tax-deductible!
My project page can be found here, and will be made publicly available next week for exactly 30 days of fundraising:
Evolution of Promiscuity in Angiosperms
I’d be happy to provide more information for anyone, and obviously would acknowledge all contributions large and small on my website and in publications. Thanks…
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On September 7, two colleagues and I attended the Bighorn Music Festival at the summit of Mt. Baldy ski area. During the event we decided to take a little hike around the area, which is at about 2300 m. elevation and characterized by rocky, scree slopes and mixed oak and conifer forest (heavy on the …
Jolles Lab 