Trichostema ovatum
Encyclopedia
Trichostema ovatum is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name San Joaquin bluecurls.
of California
, where it occurs in grassland
habitat, as well as disturbed and alkali soils
, such as chenopod
scrub.
is a series of clusters of flowers located at each leaf pair. Each flower has a hairy calyx of pointed sepal
s and a tubular, lipped purple corolla. The four stamen
s are long and curved, measuring up to 1.6 centimeters long.
The plant blooms in May through October, with peak flowering in the hot summer. Adequate rainfall is necessary for germination
.
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 San Joaquin bluecurls.
Distribution
It is endemic to the San Joaquin ValleySan Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
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 occurs in grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
habitat, as well as disturbed and alkali soils
Alkali soils
Alkali, or alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH , a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate...
, such as chenopod
Chenopodium
Chenopodium is a genus of about 150 species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifications separate it and its relatives as Chenopodiaceae, but...
scrub.
Description
Trichostema ovatum is an annual herb approaching 80 centimeters in maximum height, its aromatic herbage coated in woolly glandular and nonglandular hairs. The pointed oval leaves are 1 or 2 centimeters long. 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 series of clusters of flowers located at each leaf pair. Each flower has a hairy calyx of pointed 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 and a tubular, lipped purple corolla. The four stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s are long and curved, measuring up to 1.6 centimeters long.
The plant blooms in May through October, with peak flowering in the hot summer. Adequate rainfall is necessary for germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
.