Ipomopsis spicata, commonly known as the spiked ipomopsis, is a species of plant in the phlox family. It is native to the western United States, where it is widespread from the western Great Plains to the Uintah Basin, south to New Mexico and north to Montana. It is found in a variety of habitats, from dry lowlands to above the timberline.
It is a perennial that produces a cream colored flowers in the spring.
Taxonomy Ipomopsis spicata was scientifically described by Thomas Nuttall in 1848 with the name Gilia spicata, placing it in the genus Gilia. The botanist Otto Kuntze proposed moving it to Navarretia in 1891, but it was finally classified in Ipomopsis by Verne Grant in 1956. Together with it genus it is part of the Polemoniaceae family. This species is highly variable through its range. Due to its occupation of many ecologically distinct and geographically isolated habitats, many subspecies and variety have been named. According to Plants of the World Online it has one accepted variety and five accepted subspecies.
Ipomopsis spicata subsp. capitata – Endemic to Colorado in the Collegiate Range Ipomopsis spicata var. cephaloidea – Native to Montana and Wyoming Ipomopsis spicata subsp. orchidacea – Native to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming Ipomopsis spicata subsp. robruthiae – endemic to the Absaroka Range of Wyoming Ipomopsis spicata subsp. spicata – widespread in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Plains Ipomopsis spicata subsp. tridactyla – endemic to the Markagunt Plateau of Utah
Ipomopsis spicata has synonyms of the species, its variety, and five subspecies in total, though only six are species.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Gilia cephaloidea 1897 species var. cephaloidea ≡ hom. Gilia congesta var. orchidacea 1913 variety subsp. orchidacea ≡ hom. Gilia spicata 1848 species I. spicata ≡ hom. Gilia spicata var. capitata 1870 variety subsp. capitata ≡ hom. Gilia spicata var. cephaloidea 1936 variety var. cephaloidea ≡ hom. Gilia spicata var. deserta 1899 variety subsp. spicata = het. Gilia spicata var. orchidacea 1959 variety subsp. orchidacea ≡ hom. Gilia spicata var. tridactyla 1936 variety subsp. tridactyla ≡ hom. Gilia tridactyla 1917 species subsp. tridactyla ≡ hom. Gilia trifida 1848 species subsp. spicata = het. Ipomopsis spicata var. orchidacea 1988 variety subsp. orchidacea ≡ hom. Ipomopsis spicata var. robruthiae 1992 variety subsp. robruthiae ≡ hom. Ipomopsis tridactyla 2003 species subsp. tridactyla ≡ hom. Navarretia spicata 1891 species I. spicata ≡ hom. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
Range Spiked ipomopsis is native to nine western US states. Its range extends to a few western counties of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. It likewise is found in just three counties in northern New Mexico, but grows in many parts of eastern Colorado and one county west of the Great Divide. The species is only known in a few counties of Utah, but in widely separated areas. It is widespread in Wyoming, but only grows in western and southern Montana, crossing over the mountains to also grow in Butte County, Idaho.
References Citations
Sources Journal articles
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