Caudices 1.5-3 cm diam. Leaf blades 5-15 × 1-2.5 cm, 2-6 mm thick. Inflorescences: floral shoots red, 5-12-leaved, 15-40 × 0.3-0.6 cm; cincinni 4-15-flowered, 3-12 cm. Pedicels 5-20 mm. Flowers: sepals 4-7 mm; petals bright yellow, red-tinged, 12-16(-20) mm. 2n = 136.

Flowering spring. Rock crevices and rocky slopes; 400-1800 m; Ariz.

The well-isolated polyploid subsp. collomiae is similar to the diploid subsp. aloides, differing mainly in its larger flowers.

LEAVES: 5-15(-20) cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, 2-6 mm thick.

FLORAL STEMS: 1.5-4 dm tall, 3-6 mm thick. CYME branches 3-12 cm long, 4-12-flowered.

FLOWERS: sepals 4-7 mm long; corolla 12-16(-20) mm long. 2n = 102-, 136.

NOTES: Rock crevices and rocky slopes; Gila, Maricopa, Mohave, Pinal, Yavapai cos.; 450-1800 m (1500-6000 ft); Mar-Jun.

REFERENCES: Moran, Reid. 1994. Bixaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27, 190-194.

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Succulent

General: Rosettes solitary or few, 3-12 cm wide of 10-25 erect or ascending leaves, on short stem 1-3 cm thick.

Leaves: At first glaucous, later green, oblong-lanceolate, tapering from base or slightly wider near middle, narrowly acute, 5-15 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, 2-6 mm thick.

Flowers: Floral stems 1.5-4 dm tall, 3-6 mm thick, reddish, with ascending, triangular-lanceolate leaves; cyme branches 3-12 cm long, 4-12 flowered; flowers with sepals 4-7 mm long, triangular-ovate; corolla 12-16 mm long, petals bright yellow, oblong-laceolate.

Fruits: Follicles many-seeded.

Ecology: Found on rocky slopes and among rock crevices from 1,500-6,000 ft (457-1829 m); flowers March-June.

Notes: This is to be distinguished, according to the literature, from D. saxosa, although the two have significant overlap. The vast majority of collections are of this species which does not lend credibility to separation. The key suggests slight differences in the leaf size, inflorescence size, and flowers.

Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genus had some uses.

Etymology: Dudleya is named for William Russel Dudley (1849-1911) the first head of the Botany department at Stanford, while collomiae comes from the Greek kolla or glue.

Synonyms: Dudleya saxosa subsp. collomiae, Dudleya collomiae

Editor: SBuckley, 2010