Benitoa
Encyclopedia
Benitoa is a genus of flowering plant
s in the daisy family, Asteraceae
.
This is a monotypic genus containing the single species Benitoa occidentalis, which is known simply as benitoa. It is sometimes included in genus Lessingia
as the synonym
Lessingia occidentalis.
Benitoa is endemic to California
, where it is known mostly from San Benito County
, the region for which it is named. It is a member of the serpentine soil
s flora.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the daisy family, Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
.
This is a monotypic genus containing the single species Benitoa occidentalis, which is known simply as benitoa. It is sometimes included in genus Lessingia
Lessingia
Lessingia is a genus of plants in the daisy family which are native to western North America. Some species are endemic to California. Lessingias are generally daisylike in appearance with white, yellow, or purple flowers, but they vary in appearance. Some lessingias are sometimes treated as members...
as the synonym
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
Lessingia occidentalis.
Benitoa is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known mostly from San Benito County
San Benito County, California
San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...
, the region for which it is named. It is a member of the serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s flora.