Plagiobothrys strictus
Encyclopedia
Plagiobothrys strictus is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family
known by the common name Calistoga popcornflower. It is endemic to Napa County, California
, where it is known from only two small locations near Calistoga
.
s, which have some rough hairs. The leaves are located along the stem and measure 4 to 9 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is made up of paired branches bearing several five-lobed white flowers each about half a centimeter wide. The fruit is a ribbed nutlet 1 or 2 millimeters long.
kept moist by runoff from hot spring
s and pools. The combined area of land containing the two populations was estimated to be less than 80 square meters in 1990. The species is threatened by the disturbance of its grassland
habitat; both populations are on privately owned, unprotected land, one next to a small airport
.
of the United States.
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
known by the common name Calistoga popcornflower. It is endemic to Napa County, California
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
, where it is known from only two small locations near Calistoga
Calistoga, California
Calistoga is a city in Napa County, California, United States. The population was 5,155 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , 99.30% of it land and 0.70% of it water.-Climate:...
.
Description
This is an annual herb growing erect 10 to 40 centimeters tall. It is mostly hairless except for the sepalSepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s, which have some rough hairs. The leaves are located along the stem and measure 4 to 9 centimeters long. 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 made up of paired branches bearing several five-lobed white flowers each about half a centimeter wide. The fruit is a ribbed nutlet 1 or 2 millimeters long.
Distribution and habitat
It grows in wet grassy habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
kept moist by runoff from hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s and pools. The combined area of land containing the two populations was estimated to be less than 80 square meters in 1990. The species is threatened by the disturbance of its grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
habitat; both populations are on privately owned, unprotected land, one next to a small airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
.
Endangered status
Plagiobothrys strictus is a federally listed endangered speciesEndangered 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...
of the United States.