Navarretia heterodoxa
Encyclopedia
Navarretia heterodoxa is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family
known by the common name Calistoga pincushionplant. It is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area
in California
, where it grows in the serpentine soil
s of the hills and mountains.
It is a hairy annual herb producing a slender stem up to about 24 centimeters long. It is glandular and emits a skunk
y scent. The leaves are divided into threadlike or needlelike lobes. The inflorescence
is a head of flowers lined with palmate bract
s. The flowers are purple and roughly a centimeter long, their corollas divided into five lobes.
Polemoniaceae
Polemoniaceae are a family of about 25 genera with 270-400 species of annual and perennial plants, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity in western North America, especially in California.Only one genus is found in Europe, and two in Asia, where they...
known by the common name Calistoga pincushionplant. It is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in 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...
, where it grows in 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 of the hills and mountains.
It is a hairy annual herb producing a slender stem up to about 24 centimeters long. It is glandular and emits a skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
y scent. The leaves are divided into threadlike or needlelike lobes. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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 flowers lined with palmate 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 and roughly a centimeter long, their corollas divided into five lobes.