Monardella breweri
Encyclopedia
Monardella breweri is a species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name Brewer's monardella.
, where its range extends from the San Francisco Bay Area
through the Central Coast Ranges to the Transverse Ranges
, including the Santa Monica Mountains
, in the Greater Los Angeles
area. Its habitat includes chaparral and oak woodland
.
is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of stiff, pointed, veined, purplish bract
s up to 3 centimeters wide. Each hairy pinkish five-lobed flower is just over a centimeter long.
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 Brewer's monardella.
Distribution
Monardella breweri is endemic to CaliforniaCalifornia
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 range extends from 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...
through the Central Coast Ranges to the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
, including the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
, in the Greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
area. Its habitat includes chaparral and oak woodland
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
.
Description
Monardella breweri is a hairy annual herb producing a branching erect stem up to about 65 centimeters in maximum height. The oppositely arranged oval leaves are up to 4.5 centimeters long. The inflorescenceInflorescence
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 blooming in a cup of stiff, pointed, veined, purplish 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 up to 3 centimeters wide. Each hairy pinkish five-lobed flower is just over a centimeter long.