Hesperolinon breweri
Encyclopedia
Hesperolinon breweri is a rare species of flowering plant in the flax family
known by the common names Brewer's dwarf flax and Brewer's western flax. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from three counties in the San Francisco Bay Area
. It is found in chaparral
ecosystems, often on serpentine soil
s. This is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near centimeters. Its narrow, linear leaves are greenish to purplish in color. It produces dense inflorescence
s of flowers with glandular sepal
s and five bright yellow petals. The protruding stamen
s hold large orange-yellow anthers. This uncommon California endemic is threatened by development of its habitat but its current status is not known.
Linaceae
The Linaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family is cosmopolitan, and includes approximately 250 species. There are 14 genera, classified into two subfamilies: Linoideae and Hugonioideae ....
known by the common names Brewer's dwarf flax and Brewer's western flax. 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 known from three counties in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. It is found in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
ecosystems, often on 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. This is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near centimeters. Its narrow, linear leaves are greenish to purplish in color. It produces dense 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...
s of flowers with glandular sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and five bright yellow petals. The protruding stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s hold large orange-yellow anthers. This uncommon California endemic is threatened by development of its habitat but its current status is not known.