Lithospermum californicum
Encyclopedia
Lithospermum californicum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family
known by the common name California stoneseed. It is native to southern Oregon
and northern California
, where it can be found in many types of mountain habitat, such as forest, woodland, and chaparral
. It is a hairy perennial herb growing from a taproot
and woody caudex
. It produces a clump of branching, spreading stems up to about 40 centimeters long. The stems are lined with widely lance-shaped, lightly hairy leaves up to 5 centimeters long. The flowers appear near the ends of the stem branches, each with a calyx of narrow, pointed sepal
s. The corolla is bright golden yellow and nearly a centimeter wide at the mouth.
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
known by the common name California stoneseed. It is native to southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and 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 can be found in many types of mountain habitat, such as forest, woodland, and 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...
. It is a hairy perennial herb growing from a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
and woody 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...
. It produces a clump of branching, spreading stems up to about 40 centimeters long. The stems are lined with widely lance-shaped, lightly hairy leaves up to 5 centimeters long. The flowers appear near the ends of the stem branches, each with a calyx of narrow, pointed 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. The corolla is bright golden yellow and nearly a centimeter wide at the mouth.