Monardella douglasii
Encyclopedia
Monardella douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name Douglas' monardella.
, where it is known from several of the mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, and valleys of the northern half of the state. It can be found in many habitat types, including grassland, chaparral
and rocky serpentine slopes
.
is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of green and purple veined, translucent bract
s. The purple flowers are just over a centimeter long.
, near Chico
.
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 Douglas' monardella.
Distribution
Monardella douglasii 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 it is known from several of the mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, and valleys of the northern half of the state. It can be found in many habitat types, including grassland, 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...
and rocky serpentine slopes
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....
.
Description
Monardella douglasii is a hairy annual herb producing a branching purple stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. The oppositely arranged leaves vary in shape. 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 green and purple veined, translucent 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. The purple flowers are just over a centimeter long.
Subspecies
One of the two subspecies of this plant, Monardella douglasii ssp. venosa, the veiny mondardella, is known from only a few occurrences in Butte County, CaliforniaButte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
, near Chico
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
.