Monardella stebbinsii
Encyclopedia
Monardella stebbinsii is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common names Feather River monardella and Stebbins' monardella. It is endemic to Plumas County, California
, where it is known from only about ten occurrences along the North Fork
of the Feather River
in the High Sierra. It is a member of the serpentine soil
s flora in rocky mountain habitat.
is a head of several flowers blooming in a small cup of leathery purplish bract
s. The pink flowers are between 1 and 2 centimeters 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 names Feather River monardella and Stebbins' monardella. It is endemic to Plumas County, California
Plumas County, California
Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The county gets its name from the Spanish words for the Feather River , which flows through the county. As of the 2010 census, the population 20,007, down from 20,824 at the 2000 census...
, where it is known from only about ten occurrences along the North Fork
North Fork Feather River
The North Fork Feather River is a watercourse of the northern Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California. It flows generally southwards from its headwaters near Lassen Peak to Lake Oroville, a reservoir formed by Oroville Dam in the foothills of the Sierra, where it runs into the Feather River....
of the Feather River
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is about . Its drainage basin is about...
in the High Sierra. It is a member of the 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 flora in rocky mountain habitat.
Description
Monardella stebbinsii is a perennial herb forming a mat or clump of densely hairy stems. The purple-gray hairy leaves are oval in shape and arranged oppositely on the stems. 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 small cup of leathery 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. The pink flowers are between 1 and 2 centimeters long.
External links
- Jepson Manual Treatment - Monardella stebbinsii
- USDA Plants Profile
- Monardella stebbinsii - Photo gallery
Further reading
- Hardham, C. B. and J. A. Bartel. (1990). Monardella stebbinsii (Lamiaceae), a new serpentine endemic species from the northern Sierra Nevada, Plumas County, California. Aliso 12:693–699.