Monardella frutescens
Encyclopedia
Monardella frutescens is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name San Luis Obispo monardella.
, where it is known only from the sand dunes
and coastal sage and chaparral
scrub on the coastline of San Luis Obispo
and Santa Barbara Counties
.
is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of papery purplish to straw-colored bract
s. The flowers are purple to pink in color. This species sometimes hybridizes with its relative, Monardella crispa
, which shares its habitat.
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 Luis Obispo monardella.
Distribution
Monardella frutescens 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 only from the sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
and coastal sage and chaparral
California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion
The California coastal sage and chaparral, a sub-ecoregion of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, is found in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California in Mexico.-Location:...
scrub on the coastline of San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
and Santa Barbara Counties
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
.
Description
Monardella frutescens is a perennial herb producing several purple stems. The thin, narrow, wavy-edged leaves are 1 to 5 centimeters long and borne in clusters along the stem. 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 papery purplish to straw-colored 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 flowers are purple to pink in color. This species sometimes hybridizes with its relative, Monardella crispa
Monardella crispa
Monardella crispa is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name crisp monardella. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the sand dunes on the coastline of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.-Description:It is an aromatic perennial herb...
, which shares its habitat.