Leptosiphon aureus
Encyclopedia
Leptosiphon aureus is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family
known by the common name golden linanthus. It is native to the Southwestern United States
, Southern California
, and northern Mexico
. It grows in woodlands in desert and mountainous areas.
The tip of the stem is occupied by an inflorescence
of usually a single flower with corolla lobes under a centimeter long. There are two subspecies: ssp. aureus generally has bright to golden yellow flowers, while ssp. decorus has white or cream blooms.
Polemoniaceae
Polemoniaceae are a family of about 25 genera with 270-400 species of annual and perennial plants, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity in western North America, especially in California.Only one genus is found in Europe, and two in Asia, where they...
known by the common name golden linanthus. It is native to the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, 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 northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It grows in woodlands in desert and mountainous areas.
Description
This is an annual herb producing a thin, threadlike stem with occasional leaves divided into narrow needlelike lobes. The oppositely arranged leaves are each divided into very narrow bristlelike lobes up to a centimeter long.The tip of the stem is occupied by an 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...
of usually a single flower with corolla lobes under a centimeter long. There are two subspecies: ssp. aureus generally has bright to golden yellow flowers, while ssp. decorus has white or cream blooms.