Crossosoma californicum
Encyclopedia
Crossosoma californicum is one of only a few species in the flowering plant family Crossosomataceae
. It is known by the common name California rockflower and it is native to San Clemente
and Santa Catalina Island
s, two of the Channel Islands of California
, as well as Guadalupe Island
off the coast of Baja California
. It is also known from one location on the mainland California coast at Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
of Los Angeles County
. This is a shrub
or small tree sprawling to a maximum height of five meters. The stem is intricately divided into many thorn-tipped branches lined with veiny, pale green, oval-shaped to rounded leaves up to 9 centimeters long. The inflorescence
consists of a single flower with round white petals each one to 1.5 centimeters long. At the center are several rings of stamen
s.
Crossosomataceae
Crossosomataceae is a small plant family, consisting of three genera of shrubs found only in the dry parts of the American southwest and Mexico.-External links:...
. It is known by the common name California rockflower and it is native to San Clemente
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
and Santa Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
s, two of the Channel Islands of California
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
, as well as Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island, or Isla Guadalupe is a volcanic island located 241 kilometers off the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and some 400 kilometers southwest of the city of Ensenada in Baja California state, in the Pacific Ocean...
off the coast of Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. It is also known from one location on the mainland California coast at Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. This is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree sprawling to a maximum height of five meters. The stem is intricately divided into many thorn-tipped branches lined with veiny, pale green, oval-shaped to rounded leaves up to 9 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
consists of a single flower with round white petals each one to 1.5 centimeters long. At the center are several rings of stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s.