Harmonia stebbinsii
Encyclopedia
Harmonia stebbinsii is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Stebbins' tarweed, or Stebbins' madia. It is endemic to northern California
, where it is limited to the Klamath Mountains
and adjacent slopes of the North Coast Ranges. It is a member of the serpentine soil
s plant community in these mountains. It is an annual herb producing a bristly stem up to about 25 centimeters tall studded with black resin glands. The bristly leaves are up to about 2 centimeters long and are mostly gathered near the base of the plant. The inflorescence
is an array of flower heads
lined with hairy, glandular, purple-tipped phyllaries
. The head has a few yellow ray florets several millimeters long and yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene
tipped with a pappus
.
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...
known by the common name Stebbins' tarweed, or Stebbins' madia. It is endemic to northern 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 limited to the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
and adjacent slopes of the North Coast Ranges. 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 plant community in these mountains. It is an annual herb producing a bristly stem up to about 25 centimeters tall studded with black resin glands. The bristly leaves are up to about 2 centimeters long and are mostly gathered near the base of the plant. 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...
is an array of flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
lined with hairy, glandular, purple-tipped phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. The head has a few yellow ray florets several millimeters long and yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
tipped with a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
.