E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Linanthus pungens (Torr.) J.M. Porter & L.A. Johnson
prickly phlox
Polemoniaceae (Phlox family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Gordon Neish  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #24680)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Linanthus pungens
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Species Information

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General:
Shrub from a taproot; stems decumbent to more or less erect, branched, leafy, often sweetly aromatic, minutely hairy or glandular-hairy to hairless, 10-60 cm tall.
Leaves:
Alternate or lower leaves opposite, numerous, 5-12 mm long, with bundles of smaller leaves in their axils, deeply palmately cleft into 3 to 7 rigid, linear, spine-tipped segments, the middle segment the longest; dead leaves remain through 1 or more seasons.
Flowers:
Inflorescences terminal clusters of unstalked, sweet-scented flowers solitary in leaf axils; corollas dull white to yellowish with lavender shading on the outer surface, 12-25 mm long, the tube funnel-shaped, flaring to 5 egg-shaped lobes 6-11 mm long; calyces 7-10 mm long, the 5 lobes unequal, spine-tipped; flowers opening in the evening, during the day loosely crumpled-closed.
Fruits:
Capsules, 3-5 mm long, 3-chambered; seeds several (5 to 10) per chamber.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry, open, rocky or sandy slopes and shrublands in the steppe zone; locally frequent in extreme SC BC; S to NE, MT, NM and MX.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Linanthus pungens

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 335 566 1300
Slope Gradient (%) 0 24 65
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
70 211 340
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
0 2 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
34
Modal BEC Zone Class
BG
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: BG(21), IDF(3), PP(7)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Gilia hallii Parish
Gilia pungens (Torr.) Benth.
Gilia pungens var. hookeri (Douglas ex Hook.) A. Gray
Leptodactylon hazeliae M. Peck
Leptodactylon lilacinum Greene ex Brank
Leptodactylon pungens (Torr.) Torr. ex Nutt.
Leptodactylon pungens (Torr.) Torr. ex Nutt.
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. brevifolium (Rydb.) Wherry
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. eupungens (Brand) Wherry
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. hallii (Parish) H. Mason
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. hazeliae (M. Peck) R.J. Meinke
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. hookeri (Douglas ex Hook.) Wherry
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. pulchriflorum (Brand) H. Mason
Leptodactylon pungens subsp. squarrosum (A. Gray) Tidestr.
Leptodactylon pungens var. hallii (Parish) Jeps.
Leptodactylon pungens var. hookeri (Douglas ex Hook.) Jeps.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References