Dudleya calcicola
Encyclopedia
Dudleya calcicola is a succulent plant
known by the common name limestone liveforever, or limestone dudleya. It is endemic to California
, where it is a rare resident of limestone
outcroppings and rocky slopes in the southern Sierra Nevada and nearby mountains and foothills.
From the rosette bolts an erect stem, which is a caudex
topped with a multi-branched inflorescence
. The stem and branches may be dark to very light and almost white in color. Each branch may be several centimeters long and bear two to eight flowers. The flowers are very pale yellow to reddish-yellow and have sharply pointed petals one to one and a half centimeters long.
The plant is not generally considered a good candidate for garden culture because of its requirement for limestone-based soils. Off-road vehicle
traffic and cattle
grazing
have had serious impacts on wild populations.
Succulent plant
Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...
known by the common name limestone liveforever, or limestone dudleya. It 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 a rare resident of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
outcroppings and rocky slopes in the southern Sierra Nevada and nearby mountains and foothills.
Description
This plant grows a rosette of leaves up to about 10 centimeters wide, each leaf blade-shaped to cone-shaped and up to 10 centimeters long and one wide. The leaves are fleshy and hairless, generally pale green, often tinted with pink or yellow.From the rosette bolts an erect stem, which is a caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
topped with a multi-branched 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...
. The stem and branches may be dark to very light and almost white in color. Each branch may be several centimeters long and bear two to eight flowers. The flowers are very pale yellow to reddish-yellow and have sharply pointed petals one to one and a half centimeters long.
The plant is not generally considered a good candidate for garden culture because of its requirement for limestone-based soils. Off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
traffic and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
have had serious impacts on wild populations.