Navarretia fossalis
Encyclopedia
Navarretia fossalis is a rare species of flowering plant in the phlox family
known by the common names vernal pool pincushionplant and spreading navarretia.
It is native to southern California
and Baja California
, where it is known only from vernally
wet areas, such as vernal pool
s, ditches, and other areas that are wet or flooded during the rainy season and dry the rest of the year. Many of these habitat areas have alkali soils arranged in uneven mounds and depressions that collect water and drain slowly before drying up.
The plant became a federally listed threatened species in the United States in 1998, when there were approximately 30 occurrences of the species remaining in southern California and about nine left across the border in Baja California. By 2009, an additional 17 occurrences had been documented. The plant often occurs with Psilocarphus brevissimus
.
This is a hairy annual herb producing a spreading stem up to about 15 centimeters high. The hairless leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and are divided into narrow linear lobes that turn spiny sharp when dry. The inflorescence
is a flat-topped head 1 or 2 centimeters wide filled with lobed bract
s and clusters of flowers. The white or purple-tinged flowers are under a centimeter long and have corollas divided into minute narrow lobes under a millimeter long. The fruit capsule yields a clump of tiny seeds that remain stuck together until they become wet, turning into a sticky, separating mass.
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 names vernal pool pincushionplant and spreading navarretia.
It is native to 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 is known only from vernally
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
wet areas, such as vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
s, ditches, and other areas that are wet or flooded during the rainy season and dry the rest of the year. Many of these habitat areas have alkali soils arranged in uneven mounds and depressions that collect water and drain slowly before drying up.
The plant became a federally listed threatened species in the United States in 1998, when there were approximately 30 occurrences of the species remaining in southern California and about nine left across the border in Baja California. By 2009, an additional 17 occurrences had been documented. The plant often occurs with Psilocarphus brevissimus
Psilocarphus brevissimus
Psilocarphus brevissimus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name short woollyheads. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada, California, to northwestern Mexico, as well as southern South America, where it grows in moist flats, such as...
.
This is a hairy annual herb producing a spreading stem up to about 15 centimeters high. The hairless leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and are divided into narrow linear lobes that turn spiny sharp when dry. 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 flat-topped head 1 or 2 centimeters wide filled with lobed 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 and clusters of flowers. The white or purple-tinged flowers are under a centimeter long and have corollas divided into minute narrow lobes under a millimeter long. The fruit capsule yields a clump of tiny seeds that remain stuck together until they become wet, turning into a sticky, separating mass.