1. Ipomopsis rubra (L.) Wherry (standing cypress)

Gilia rubra (L.) A. Heller

Pl. 492 f–h; Map 2251

Plants biennials, with stout taproots. Stems 10–40(–90) cm long, solitary, erect or strongly ascending, unbranched below the inflorescence, sparsely pubescent with minute, nonglandular hairs. Leaves in a prominent basal rosette and alternate, sessile or nearly so. Leaf blades 4–8 cm long, oblong-elliptic to oblong-ovate in outline, pinnately dissected into 10–15 segments, the segments 5–20 mm long, linear or threadlike, short- tapered to sharply pointed tips, the midvein extended into a short, spinelike projection, the margins otherwise entire, the undersurface glabrous or sparsely and minutely hairy along the midvein toward the base, each segment appearing 1-veined. Inflorescences terminal, solitary, spikelike panicles with short, strongly ascending branches, each branch with (1–)3–5 flowers, these horizontally spreading. Calyces 5-lobed to below the midpoint, narrowly bell-shaped to nearly tubular, the tube 3–4 mm long, differentiated into 5 thicker, green bands (extending into the lobes), these sparsely hairy and somewhat sticky, separated by intervening thin, translucent areas (these delicate and often rupturing as the fruits mature), the lobes 4–6 mm long, narrowly triangular, tapered to sharply pointed tips. Corollas 5-lobed, bright red (the tube usually orangish yellow internally, the lobes sometimes with pink or white markings), trumpet-shaped, the tube 20–25 mm long, the lobes 9–11 mm long. Stamens with the filaments attached equally in the tube, but unequal in lengths, the anthers thus unequally exserted (2 stamens shorter than the other 3). Style exserted. Seeds numerous, 2–3 mm long, oblong-ovoid to narrowly ovoid, irregularly 3-angled, the angles ridged or narrowly winged, the surface tan to straw-colored, more or less smooth to finely pitted, not becoming sticky when moistened. 2n=14. May–August.

Introduced, uncommon and widely scattered (native in the southern United States from Texas to southwestern Oklahoma, east to Florida, North Carolina). Open, disturbed areas.

This species is cultivated for its bright red flowers, which contrast with the lacy leaves, and are pollinated by hummingbirds (Estes and Hall, 1975).