Nemacladus sigmoideus
Encyclopedia
Nemacladus sigmoideus is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family
known by the common name sigmoid threadplant. It is native to the mountains and deserts around the intersection of California
, Nevada
, Arizona
, and Baja California
. It is a small annual herb producing a thin, spreading purplish or brown stem no more than 12 centimeters long. Hairy, sometimes toothed oval leaves up to a centimeter long occur at the base of the plant. The inflorescence
is a series of zigzagging branches bearing flowers on thin pedicels
which are sigmoid
in shape. There is a single tiny bract
at the base of each pedicel. The hairy flower is under 4 millimeters long. It has five yellow-tipped white lobes.
Campanulaceae
The family Campanulaceae , of the order Asterales, contains about 2000 species in 70 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky non-toxic sap...
known by the common name sigmoid threadplant. It is native to the mountains and deserts around the intersection of 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...
, 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...
. It is a small annual herb producing a thin, spreading purplish or brown stem no more than 12 centimeters long. Hairy, sometimes toothed oval leaves up to a centimeter long occur at the base of the plant. 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 series of zigzagging branches bearing flowers on thin pedicels
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
which are sigmoid
Sigmoid
Sigmoid means resembling the lower-case Greek letter sigma or the Latin letter S. Specific uses include:* Sigmoid function, a mathematical function* Sigmoid colon, part of the large intestine or colon...
in shape. There is a single tiny 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...
at the base of each pedicel. The hairy flower is under 4 millimeters long. It has five yellow-tipped white lobes.