Monardella undulata
Encyclopedia
Monardella undulata is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name curlyleaf monardella.
from Sonoma
to Santa Barbara Counties
, where it is known from several coastal habitat types, including dune
s, scrub, chaparral
, and forest.
is a head of several flowers blooming in a small cup of rough-haired, sometimes purple-tinged bract
s up to 3 centimeters wide. The flowers are purple in color and up to 2 centimeters long.
and competing introduced plant species
.
This species is an important food plant for the endangered
Myrtle's silverspot butterfly
(Speyeria zerene myrtleae), which eats its nectar.
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 curlyleaf monardella.
Distribution
It is endemic to the coast of 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...
from Sonoma
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
to 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:...
, where it is known from several coastal habitat types, including dune
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...
s, scrub, 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 forest.
Description
It is a mostly hairless annual herb producing an erect, reddish stem up to half a meter in maximum height. The fleshy, wavy-edged leaves are located 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 small cup of rough-haired, sometimes purple-tinged 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. The flowers are purple in color and up to 2 centimeters long.
Conservation
The plant is threatened by forces that degrade its coastline habitat, such as sand miningSand mining
Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beaches and inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to...
and competing introduced plant species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
.
This species is an important food plant for the endangered
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...
Myrtle's silverspot butterfly
Myrtle's silverspot butterfly
Myrtle’s silverspot, Speyeria zerene myrtleae, is a medium-sized butterfly in the brush foot family , an endangered subspecies of Zerene fritillary. It is endemic to California, where it is known from only about four locations just north of the San Francisco Bay Area, including two at Point Reyes...
(Speyeria zerene myrtleae), which eats its nectar.