Keckiella lemmonii
Encyclopedia
Keckiella lemmonii is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family
known by the common name Lemmon's keckiella. It is native to Oregon
and northern California
, where it grows in the coniferous forests and chaparral
of coastal and inland mountain ranges. Its range may extend just into Nevada
in the High Sierra. This is a small shrub
with long, narrow, mostly unbranched stems reaching maximum heights near 1.5 meters. Oval-shaped, slightly toothed green leaves are arranged oppositely along the stems. Each leaf is up to about 6 centimeters long. The flower is dull purple and streaked with purple-brown. Pointed lobes curl away from the mouth of the flower, revealing a hairy yellow sterile stamen
known as a staminode
. The flower is up to 2 centimeters in length.
Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae Juss. or plantain family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. The type genus is Plantago L..In older classifications it used to be the only family of the order Plantaginales, but numerous phylogenetic studies, summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, have...
known by the common name Lemmon's keckiella. It is native to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and northern 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 coniferous forests and chaparral
Chaparral
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...
of coastal and inland mountain ranges. Its range may extend just into 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...
in the High Sierra. This is a small shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
with long, narrow, mostly unbranched stems reaching maximum heights near 1.5 meters. Oval-shaped, slightly toothed green leaves are arranged oppositely along the stems. Each leaf is up to about 6 centimeters long. The flower is dull purple and streaked with purple-brown. Pointed lobes curl away from the mouth of the flower, revealing a hairy yellow sterile stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
known as a 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...
. The flower is up to 2 centimeters in length.