Monardella viridis
Encyclopedia
Monardella viridis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family
which is endemic to California
.
, its two subspecies separated by several hundred miles. The green monardella, ssp. viridis, is limited to the North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area
, while the rock monardella, ssp. saxicola, is endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains
of the Los Angeles Area.
herb
producing a hairy erect or decumbent stem lined with pairs of oval leaves with woolly undersides. The inflorescence
is a head of several flowers blooming in a small cup of rough-haired, leaflike bract
s. The light pink or purple flowers are between 1 and 2 centimeters long.
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...
which is endemic to 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...
.
Distribution
The plant has a disjunct distributionDisjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
, its two subspecies separated by several hundred miles. The green monardella, ssp. viridis, is limited to the North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, while the rock monardella, ssp. saxicola, is endemic to the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
of the Los Angeles Area.
Description
In general, Monardella viridis is a perennialPerennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
producing a hairy erect or decumbent stem lined with pairs of oval leaves with woolly undersides. 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 small cup of rough-haired, leaflike 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 light pink or purple flowers are between 1 and 2 centimeters long.