Keckiella ternata
Encyclopedia
Keckiella ternata is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family
known by the common name scarlet keckiella. It is native to the mountains of southern California
and Baja California
, where it grows in several local habitat types, including chaparral and woodland
. It is a shrub
often exceeding two meters in height and spreading slightly with wand-like, waxy branches. The branches bear whorls of three leaves each, or oppositely arranged pairs of leaves. Each toothed, curving leaf is tapered at the base and pointed at the tip, oblong to lance-shaped, and up to 6 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is an array of solid red tubular flowers up to 3 centimeters long. The hairy staminode
is visible in the mouth of the flower.
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 scarlet keckiella. It is native to the mountains of southern 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...
and 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...
, where it grows in several local habitat types, including chaparral and woodland
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
. It is a 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...
often exceeding two meters in height and spreading slightly with wand-like, waxy branches. The branches bear whorls of three leaves each, or oppositely arranged pairs of leaves. Each toothed, curving leaf is tapered at the base and pointed at the tip, oblong to lance-shaped, and up to 6 centimeters long. 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 an array of solid red tubular flowers up to 3 centimeters long. The hairy 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...
is visible in the mouth of the flower.