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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Microgilia minutiflora
small-flowered ipomopsis

 
Scientific Name: Microgilia minutiflora (Benth.) J.M. Porter & L.A. Johnson
Scientific Name Synonyms: Ipomopsis minutiflora
English Name: small-flowered ipomopsis
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Classification Level: Species
Taxonomy Comments: The name Microgilia minutiflora is not widely used but is referred to in by Porter et al. 2010 on the phylogenetic relationships in Ipomopsis. First published in Alio 19(1): 79. 2000.
Species Group: Vascular Plant
Species Code: MICRMIN
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Plantae Anthophyta Dicotyledoneae Solanales Polemoniaceae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G4 (Apr 2005)
Provincial Status: S4 (Apr 2019)
BC List: Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 3 - Sensitive (2010)
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description: Small-flower Standing-cypress is an annual with a central stem that is 1-3 dm (4-12) tall, and with branches arising from most leaf axils. The alternate stem leaves are up to 3 cm long and are divided into 3 linear segments below, while above they are simple and linear with entire margins. Basal leaves are lacking. Foliage is glabrous to densely glandular. Small flowers are in the upper leaf axils or solitary at the tips of the numerous ultimate branches. The white or pale blue, tubular corolla is 4-7 mm long and flares to 5 lobes with 5 anthers held just beyond the mouth. The calyx is 5-lobed. The fruit is a rounded capsule with 1-3 seeds.
Technical Description:
Diagnostic Characteristics: The plant superficially resembles EPILOBIUM PANICULATUM, but the latter has 4 separate petals. Our other species of IPOMOPSIS have basal rosettes.
Similar Species:
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments: Sparsely vegetated sandy embankments and along eroding banks and bluffs. Also on roadsides. Seems to be somewhat ruderal, prone to occur in areas with some disturbance, but also reported from thinly vegetated, undisturbed sagebrush flats.
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Elevation (m) (min / max): Provincial: 
Known Pests:
Pollen Vector:
Pollinator:
Dispersal:
   
 
Provincial Inventory
Inventory Priority:
Ownership of occurrences (Known locations):
Inventory Need:
 
Economic Attributes
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Disjunct, more common elsewhere:
Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere:
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author:
Last Updated:
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
Last Literature Search:
   
References and Related Literature
Abrams, L. 1951. Illustrated flora of the Pacific states: Washington, Oregon, and California. Vol. 3. Geraniaceae to Scrophulariaceae. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, California. 866 pp.
Argus, G.W., and K.M. Pryer. 1990. Rare vascular plants in Canada. Our natural heritage. Canadian Museum Nature, Ottawa. 191 pp. + maps.
Booth, W.E., and J.C. Wright. 1966. Flora of Montana: Dicotyledons, Part II. Montana State Univ., Bozeman. 305 pp.
Davis, R.J. 1952. Flora of Idaho. Brigham Young Univ. Press, Provo, UT. 836 pp.
Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia, 2nd ed. B.C. Conserv. Data Centre, Terrestrial Inf. Branch, Victoria. 358pp.
Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Pojar, eds. 1999. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Vol. 4, Dicotyledons (Orobanchaceae through Rubiaceae). B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Minist. For., Victoria. 427pp.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J.W. Thompson. 1959. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 4: Ericaceae through Campanulaceae, by C.L. Hitchcock, A. Cronquist, and M. Ownbey. Univ. Washington Press, Seattle. 510 pp.
Peck, M.E. 1961. A manual of the higher plants of Oregon. 2nd edition. Binsford & Mort, Portland, Oregon. 936 pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Microgilia minutiflora. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Apr 9, 2026).