Bloomeria clevelandii
Encyclopedia
Bloomeria clevelandii is a rare species of flowering plant that is known by the common name San Diego goldenstar. It is native to a strip of scrub and coastal grassland in San Diego County, California
, and adjacent Baja California
. Genetic analysis
of several morphologically similar genera shows that this species, which was named Muilla clevelandii for several decades, is not very closely related to the other members of Muilla
and is moved back to Bloomeria.
This plant is a perennial herb growing from a corm
and producing 2 to 8 narrow leaves up to 15 centimeters long. The erect inflorescence
arises from ground level and may be up to 70 centimeters tall. It is shaped like an umbel
with up to 30 flowers borne on pedicels
2 or 3 centimeters long. The flower has six green-veined yellow tepal
s each up to a centimeter long.
The plant is threatened by the destruction of its coastal habitat to urban development and impacts from vehicles and trash dumping.
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, and adjacent 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...
. Genetic analysis
Genetic analysis
Genetic analysis can be used generally to describe methods both used in and resulting from the sciences of genetics and molecular biology, or to applications resulting from this research....
of several morphologically similar genera shows that this species, which was named Muilla clevelandii for several decades, is not very closely related to the other members of Muilla
Muilla
The genus Muilla includes three to four species of flowering plants. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Brodiaeoideae. They are native to western North America...
and is moved back to Bloomeria.
This plant is a perennial herb growing from a corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
and producing 2 to 8 narrow leaves up to 15 centimeters long. The erect 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...
arises from ground level and may be up to 70 centimeters tall. It is shaped like an umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
with up to 30 flowers borne on 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....
2 or 3 centimeters long. The flower has six green-veined yellow tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s each up to a centimeter long.
The plant is threatened by the destruction of its coastal habitat to urban development and impacts from vehicles and trash dumping.