Monardella antonina
Encyclopedia
Monardella antonina is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name San Antonio Hills monardella. It is endemic to California
, where its two subspecies are restricted to narrow sections of the Central Coast Ranges.
and wooded slopes in Monterey County
. The rarer ssp. benitensis, the San Benito monardella, is a serpentine soil
s endemic which is mainly limited to the barren hills near the ghost town of New Idria
in San Benito County
.
, glandular perennial herb coated in whitish hairs. The oppositely arranged leaves are oval in shape and generally toothed. The inflorescence
is a head of several flowers up to 1.5 centimeters wide with a base of leaflike bract
s. Each flower is lavender in color. It has two long upper lobes and three lower with four long, protruding stamen
s at the center.
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
known by the common name San Antonio Hills monardella. 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 its two subspecies are restricted to narrow sections of the Central Coast Ranges.
Distribution
The distribution of ssp. antonina is unclear, but it is mainly found in chaparralChaparral
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...
and wooded slopes in Monterey County
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
. The rarer ssp. benitensis, the San Benito monardella, is a 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 endemic which is mainly limited to the barren hills near the ghost town of New Idria
New Idria, California
New Idria was an unincorporated town in San Benito County, California. It is named after a now-inoperative quicksilver mine of the same name. The mine itself was named in honor of the world's second largest quicksilver mine in Idrija, Slovenia The town grew to support the mining operations, but...
in San Benito County
San Benito County, California
San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...
.
Description
This is a pale green, rhizomatousRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
, glandular perennial herb coated in whitish hairs. The oppositely arranged leaves are oval in shape and generally toothed. 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 a head of several flowers up to 1.5 centimeters wide with a base of leaflike bract
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...
s. Each flower is lavender in color. It has two long upper lobes and three lower with four long, protruding stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s at the center.