Monardella beneolens
Encyclopedia
Monardella beneolens is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name sweet-smelling monardella.
, where it is known from just a few occurrences in the high peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada. Its habitat includes subalpine
mountain forests and alpine
rock fields.
Although the plant is rare, it is not likely to experience disturbance or destruction because it lives in such remote habitat.
perennial herb growing in a mat or small tuft and producing flowering stems 10 to 30 centimeters long. The long-haired, triangular or oval leaves are under a centimeter long and usually wavy along the edges. The inflorescence
is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pinkish or pale green bract
s. The five-lobed flowers are lavender or pink.
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
known by the common name sweet-smelling monardella.
Distribution
Monardella beneolens is endemic to CaliforniaCalifornia
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 is known from just a few occurrences in the high peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada. Its habitat includes subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
mountain forests and alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
rock fields.
Although the plant is rare, it is not likely to experience disturbance or destruction because it lives in such remote habitat.
Description
Monardella beneolens is is a hairy, glandular rhizomatousRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial herb growing in a mat or small tuft and producing flowering stems 10 to 30 centimeters long. The long-haired, triangular or oval leaves are under a centimeter long and usually wavy along the edges. 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 a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pinkish or pale green bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s. The five-lobed flowers are lavender or pink.
External links
- Jepson Manual Treatment - Monardella beneolens
- USDA Plants Profile - Monardella beneolens
- Monardella beneolens - Photo gallery
Further reading
- Shevock, J. R., B. Ertter, and J. D. Jokerst. (1989). Monardella beneolens (Lamiaceae), a new species from the crest of the southern Sierra Nevada, California. Madroño 36:271-79.