Monolopia congdonii
Encyclopedia
Monolopia congdonii is a rare species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name San Joaquin woolly-thread. It is endemic to California
, where it is known only from the southern San Joaquin Valley
and one area in nearby Santa Barbara County
. It is a federally listed endangered species
.
s at the end of stem branches bear small hemispheric flower heads
. Each head is wrapped in phyllaries
with black glandular hairs and has a center of glandular yellow disc florets. There are also yellow ray florets but they are so small they are nearly invisible. Each is about half a millimeter long and has a minutely lobed tip.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name San Joaquin woolly-thread. It 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...
, where it is known only from the southern San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
and one area in nearby Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Description
This is a small annual herb with a trailing or somewhat upright stem coated thinly in woolly fibers. The leaves are up to about 4 centimeters long and have wavy edges. The inflorescenceInflorescence
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...
s at the end of stem branches bear small hemispheric flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
. Each head is wrapped in phyllaries
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...
with black glandular hairs and has a center of glandular yellow disc florets. There are also yellow ray florets but they are so small they are nearly invisible. Each is about half a millimeter long and has a minutely lobed tip.