Tonestus eximius
Encyclopedia
Tonestus eximius is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Lake Tahoe serpentweed. It is native to the High Sierra Nevada, where it is known only from the vicinity of Lake Tahoe
on the California
-Nevada
border. It grows in alpine
and subalpine
mountain habitat. It is a short, clumpy perennial herb growing up to 13 centimeters tall. The thick stems are hairless and glandular, the lower parts covered in the withered leaf bases of previous seasons' growth. The toothed or serrated leaf blades are up to 3 to 5 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
is a single flower head
or a cluster of a few heads. Each is 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide with green phyllaries
. The head bears at least 10 bright yellow ray florets around a center containing many tubular disc florets.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name Lake Tahoe serpentweed. It is native to the High Sierra Nevada, where it is known only from the vicinity of Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
on the 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...
border. It grows in alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
and subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
mountain habitat. It is a short, clumpy perennial herb growing up to 13 centimeters tall. The thick stems are hairless and glandular, the lower parts covered in the withered leaf bases of previous seasons' growth. The toothed or serrated leaf blades are up to 3 to 5 centimeters in length. 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 single flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
or a cluster of a few heads. Each is 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide with green phyllaries
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...
. The head bears at least 10 bright yellow ray florets around a center containing many tubular disc florets.