Monardella linoides
Encyclopedia
Monardella linoides is a species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common names flaxleaf monardella and willowy monardella. It is native to southern California
and adjacent sections of Nevada
, Arizona
, and Baja California
, where it grows in many types of habitat from desert flats to subalpine
forests, including in the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert
.
is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pale whitish or pink-tinged papery bract
s 2 or 3 centimeters wide. The flowers are just over a centimeter long and light purple in color.
, is treated as a federally listed endangered species
in the United States.
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 names flaxleaf monardella and willowy monardella. It is native to southern 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...
and adjacent sections of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in many types of habitat from desert flats to subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
forests, including in the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
Description
Monardella linoides is a gray-green perennial herb producing a slender erect stem up to about 50 centimeters in maximum height. The linear to oval leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long and coated in grayish hairs. 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 pale whitish or pink-tinged papery 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 2 or 3 centimeters wide. The flowers are just over a centimeter long and light purple in color.
Subspecies
There are about four subspecies of this plant. One, Monardella linoides ssp. viminea, sometimes classified as a separate species called Monardella viminea, is a rare plant limited to northern Baja California and parts of San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, is treated as a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in the United States.