Brodiaea minor
Encyclopedia
Brodiaea minor is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus
known by the common names dwarf brodiaea and vernalpool brodiaea. It is endemic to central California
, where it grows in the grassland habitat of the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a small perennial producing an erect inflorescence
up to 10 centimeters tall which bears light purple flowers on short pedicels
. Each flower is urn-shaped with narrow, spreading tepal
s 1 to 2 centimeters long. In the center of the flower are three fertile stamen
s and three prominent, protruding sterile stamens known as staminode
s.
Brodiaea
Brodiaea is a monocot genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Brodiaeoideae, also known by the common name cluster-lilies...
known by the common names dwarf brodiaea and vernalpool brodiaea. It is endemic to central 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 grows in the grassland habitat of the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a small perennial producing an 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...
up to 10 centimeters tall which bears light purple flowers on short 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....
. Each flower is urn-shaped with narrow, spreading 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 1 to 2 centimeters long. In the center of the flower are three fertile stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and three prominent, protruding sterile stamens known as staminode
Staminode
In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen. This means that it does not produce pollen. Staminodes are frequently inconspicuous and stamen-like, usually occurring at the inner whorl of the flower, but are also sometimes long enough to protrude from the...
s.