Plagiobothrys uncinatus
Encyclopedia
Plagiobothrys uncinatus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family
known by the common names Salinas Valley popcornflower and hooked popcornflower. It is endemic to the Central Coast Ranges of California
, where it is known mainly from the Santa Lucia Mountains and Gabilan Range
in Monterey County
.
and other habitat in the canyons. It is an annual herb producing a decumbent or erect stem measuring up to about 20 centimeters long. It is hairy in texture, the hairs stiff and rough, and the herbage is edged with red or purple and bleeds purple juice when crushed. The leaves are 1 or 2 centimeters long, located in a basal rosette around the stem and along the stem in an alternate arrangement.
The inflorescence
is a series of tiny five-lobed white flowers each about 2 millimeters wide. They are surrounded by sepal
s which are coated in long white hairs with hooked tips.
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
known by the common names Salinas Valley popcornflower and hooked popcornflower. It is endemic to the Central Coast Ranges 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...
, where it is known mainly from the Santa Lucia Mountains and Gabilan Range
Gabilan Range
The Gabilan Range or Gabilan Mountains are located on the Pacific Coast Range of California's Central Coast trending in a northwest-southeast direction along the Monterey County and San Benito County line. It is bordered by the Diablo Range, the San Andreas Fault, and State Route 25 to the east and...
in Monterey County
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
.
Description
Plagiobothrys uncinatus, Salinas Valley popcornflower, grows in chaparralChaparral
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 other habitat in the canyons. It is an annual herb producing a decumbent or erect stem measuring up to about 20 centimeters long. It is hairy in texture, the hairs stiff and rough, and the herbage is edged with red or purple and bleeds purple juice when crushed. The leaves are 1 or 2 centimeters long, located in a basal rosette around the stem and along the stem in an alternate arrangement.
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 tiny five-lobed white flowers each about 2 millimeters wide. They are surrounded by sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s which are coated in long white hairs with hooked tips.