Dudleya hendrixii

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Dudleya hendrixii
Dudleya hendrixii 1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Dudleya
Species:
D. hendrixii
Binomial name
Dudleya hendrixii
S.McCabe & Dodero
Hasseanthus Colonet range map.png
The location of Punta Colonet, where Dudleya hendrixii grows.

Dudleya hendrixii is a species of succulent plant known by the common name Hendrix's liveforever. It is a rare endemic restricted to undisturbed habitat near in the vicinity of Punta Colonet, Baja California, Mexico. The species is a small succulent that grows from an underground stem, producing small flowers in late spring to early summer before becoming summer deciduous and dormant. It was discovered in late 2016 by researchers from San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is named in honor of the late musician Jimi Hendrix.

Contents

Description

Dudleya hendrixii is placed in the Dudleya subgenus Hasseanthus, [1] which consists of species characterized by small drought deciduous leaves, flowers with widely-spreading petals and a tuberous underground stem, similar to a corm. It has been suggested that the corm-like stem and the small drought deciduous leaves are paedomorphic adaptations, as these traits are present in Dudleya seedlings but not usually retained through maturity in the other subgenera. [2]

Among the members of the Hasseanthus, Dudleya hendrixii is distinguished by its combination of white flowers that are absent of odor, a globose-spherical underground stem, and 3 to 5 linear to spindle-shaped leaves borne from narrow petioles. Also notable are the morphological similarities of Dudleya hendrixii to Dudleya attenuata , a non-deciduous species in the subgenus Stylophyllum, as both have narrow, grey-white leaves with acute tips and (in the case of D. attenuata subsp. orcuttii) small white flowers. [1]

Morphology

Dudleya hendrixii is a low-growing rosette-forming succulent plant, growing to 5 cm (2.0 in) across. It is mostly acaulescent, as the apex of the stem is flush with ground level. The remainder of the stem is a corm-like structure growing underground, with a spherical to slightly longer than wide shape. The stem is unbranching, resulting in solitary rosettes with 3 to 5 leaves. [1]

The leaves are summer deciduous, and usually have a light gray glaucescent appearance. The leaves are shaped linear to fusiform, and may be straight or curved, terminated by an acuminate to attenuate tip. The petioles are narrow and upright. The leaves are oriented upright, their distal ends usually far apart, with one leaf usually curving over the apex of the plant. [1]

Plants usually produce 2 to 4 inflorescences. The peduncles grow from the stem and are 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) thick, and grow to create an inflorescence that measures 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) tall. The peduncle is lined with succulent bracts, the lower ones measuring 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) long by 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) wide with an attenuate tip. The lowermost two bracts are placed nearly opposite of each other, while the subsequent bracts above are mostly alternate. Several terminal branches 1–2.5 cm (0.39–0.98 in) bear the flowers. [1]

Pedicels to 1 mm (0.039 in) long bear the flowers. The calyx is about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, with red-brown sepals, and is more or less glaucous, becoming especially so towards the base. The petals are pink in bud, and in maturity are white with pink on their lower surface, and are striped with red along their keel. The petals are about 8 mm (0.31 in) long by 3 mm (0.12 in) wide, and are united for around 1 mm (0.039 in) or less of their length. The anthers have red tips prior to dehiscence and produce yellow pollen. The carpels are spreading and becoming widely spreading as they mature into follicles. [1]

Taxonomy

Etymology

The specific epithet of the species, hendrixii, is named in honor of musician Jimi Hendrix, as Mark Dodero, the former graduate student from SDSU who is credited with discovering the plant, was listening to Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" at the moment he found the plant. [1] [3]

Ecology

Because of its small habitat, the plant under threat of extinction from grazing and development. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Dudleya</i> North American succulent genus

Dudleya, commonly known as liveforevers is a genus of rosette-forming succulent plants in the stonecrop family, Crassulaceae, consisting of about 68 taxa in southwestern North America and Guadalupe Island. The species come in many forms, some large and evergreen, others geophytic and deciduous. Yet, despite their dramatic variations in appearance, most species readily hybridize. The flowers of Dudleya have parts numbered in fives, with the petals arranged in tubular, star-shaped, and bell-shaped forms and, when fruiting, are filled with tiny, ovoid-crescent-shaped seeds.

<i>Dudleya blochmaniae</i> Species of succulent plant

Dudleya blochmaniae is a summer-deciduous succulent plant known by the common names Blochman's liveforever or Blochman's dudleya. This species of Dudleya survives part of the year with no aboveground presence, surviving as underground corm-like roots in deciduous months. It is characterized by white, star-shaped and spreading flowers that emerge after sufficient rainfall. It is found along the Pacific coast of the California Floristic Province, from the vicinity of San Luis Obispo in California to Punta Colonet in Baja California.

<i>Dudleya farinosa</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya farinosa is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by several common names, including bluff lettuce, powdery liveforever, and powdery dudleya. A coastal plant of northern California and southern Oregon, it is typically found on ocean bluffs just directly above the reach of the waves, and sometimes inland. Its appearance is characterized by lotus-like rosettes of beveled leaves, and in summer the plant erects a tall pink to red peduncle densely covered in bracts, topped with branches of pale yellow flowers. The green or white rosettes of this plant can be seen covering stretches of rocky coast and nearby islets.

<i>Dudleya multicaulis</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya multicaulis is a succulent plant known by the common name manystem liveforever or many-stemmed dudleya. This Dudleya is endemic to southern California, where it is rare and seriously threatened as its habitat is altered by humans. Many occurrences of this species have been extirpated. This species is characterized by a few short, fingerlike cylindrical leaves with pointed tips, and its erect peduncle, which is topped with a branching inflorescence bearing up to 15 flowers on each long, thin branch. The flowers, which appear in late spring, have pointed yellow petals and long stamens. It is usually found on heavy clay or rocky soils and outcrops.

<i>Dudleya pulverulenta</i> Species of succulent plant found in the U.S. and Mexico

Dudleya pulverulenta is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common names chalk lettuce, chalk dudleya, and chalk liveforever. It is one of the largest Dudleya, with a silvery, waxy rosette that may greatly contrast with its habitat. It is also regarded as one of the most distinctive members of the Dudleya, with one of the most specialized inflorescences in the genus, adapted to hummingbird pollination through its red pendent flowers, the longest corolla, and the highest nectar output. Dudleya pulverulenta has the largest range of all Dudleya, over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), being found from southern Monterey County in California to the Sierra de San Borja in southern Baja California. It is closely related to Dudleya arizonica, a smaller desert species that tends to lack the specialized floral traits, and Dudleya anthonyi, which differs in a few morphological traits and is restricted to the San Quintín Volcanic Field.

<i>Dudleya stolonifera</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya stolonifera is a succulent plant known by the common name Laguna Beach liveforever or Laguna Beach dudleya. This is a rare plant which is endemic to the coastline of Orange County, California. It is known from only about six populations in the vicinity of Laguna Beach, totaling about 30,000 individuals. It is federally listed as a threatened species of the United States.

<i>Dudleya brevifolia</i> Species of succulent plant from California

Dudleya brevifolia, is a rare succulent plant known by the common name short-leaved liveforever, short-leaved dudleya or rarely the Del Mar Hasseanthus. It is an edaphic endemic that only grows on Lindavista formation marine terraces, on surfaces with ironstone nodules. The leaves are deciduous, and disappear after the inflorescence develops. The small white flowers are star-shaped with a yellow center. After flowering, any above ground trace of the plant will disappear, and it survives under the earth with a starch-rich subterranean caudex. Dudleya brevifolia is only found on coastal mesas along a small strip of coast in San Diego County, California.

<i>Dudleya variegata</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya variegata is a deciduous succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common names variegated liveforever, variegated dudleya or rarely San Diego Hasseanthus. A cryptic plant that survives part of the year dormant underground from starch reserves in a corm, after sufficient rainfall, leaves will emerge, soon giving way to small inflorescences with yellow star-shaped flowers. It is native to Baja California and adjacent San Diego County in California, where it grows in several habitat types, including chaparral and vernal pools.

<i>Dudleya gnoma</i> Species of succulent plant

Dudleya gnoma is a rare species of succulent plant in the stonecrop family known by the common names munchkin liveforever and munchkin dudleya. It is characterized by its diminutive stature, small yellow flowers, and distinctive white rosettes. It is endemic to the eastern portion of Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands of California, where it is known from one population at the type locality, containing three colonies of plants.

<i>Dudleya attenuata</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya attenuata is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common name taper-tip liveforever, native to Baja California and a small portion of California. A rosette-forming leaf succulent, it has narrow pencil shaped leaves that can often be found covered in a white epicuticular wax. The thin, sprawling stems branch to form the clusters of rosettes, with plants creating a "clump" up to 40 cm wide. The small flowers are white or yellow, with 5 spreading petals. It is a diverse, variable species that extends from the southernmost coast of San Diego County to an area slightly north of the Vizcaino Desert, hybridizing with many other species of Dudleya in its range. Some plants with white or pinkish flowers were referred to as Orcutt's liveforever, referring to a former subspecies split on the basis of the flower color.

<i>Dudleya ingens</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya ingens is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the rock liveforever or Baja liveforever. A relatively large member of the genus Dudleya, this species has long green succulent leaves, and in April to June is characterized by pale yellow to white pink-tinged flowers topping tall, reddish inflorescences. It has a stem clothed densely with old, leathery leaves, and the inflorescence may be nodding, with the floral branches bearing the flowers tending to unfurl like the fronds of a fern. It is similar in appearance to Dudleya brittonii, but differs in range and chromosome number. This species is endemic to the state of Baja California in Mexico, being found from Santo Tomás to the southern coast of the state.

<i>Dudleya guadalupensis</i> Species of succulent plant from Mexico

Dudleya guadalupensis is a very rare species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the Guadalupe liveforever. It is a rosette-forming leaf succulent, with foliage that is variously colored light green, green, and a waxy white. It is characterized by dense leaves that fold over the center in dormancy, a curving, sinuous flower stalk, and white, cup-shaped flowers. It is endemic to the rocks and islets off of Guadalupe Island, an isolated volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean located 241 kilometers off of the coast of Baja California.

<i>Dudleya anomala</i> Species of plant

Dudleya anomala is a rare species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as the Todos Santos liveforever. With a dense, cushion-forming habit, this leaf succulent is characterized by elongated stems, slightly sticky leaves, and bell-shaped flowers with white, spreading petals. This species is native to Baja California, Mexico, and is found primarily on islands and one coastal locality.

<i>Dudleya campanulata</i> Succulent plant native to Baja California, Mexico

Dudleya campanulata is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common name as the Punta Banda liveforever, native to Baja California and endemic to the Punta Banda peninsula, a promontory south of Ensenada that encloses the southern limit of the Bahía de Todos Santos, a deepwater bay. One of many species of Dudleya native to the peninsula and surrounding islands, it is distinguished by its campanulate flowers and its occupation of a narrow habitat that consists of ocean bluffs on the southern end of the Punta Banda, near the well-known blowhole La Bufadora.

Dudleya formosa, known by the common name La Misión liveforever, is a species of perennial succulent plant endemic to the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California. It is characterized by bright green leaves, red floral stems, and pink flowers.

<i>Dudleya rubens</i> Succulent plant species from Baja California Sur

Dudleya rubens is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name as the San Francisco liveforever, native to the mountains of Baja California Sur. It is a rosette-forming plant with waxy leaves, characterized by branching stems and dull red to apricot flowers. It is only found above 500 metres (1,600 ft) in the Sierra de San Francisco and the Sierra de la Giganta ranges in Baja California Sur, primarily on north-facing volcanic slopes.

<i>Dudleya arizonica</i> Species of perennial

Dudleya arizonica is a species of perennial succulent plant commonly known as the Arizona chalk dudleya and the Arizona liveforever. A member of the genus Dudleya, this species is characterized by long, red flowers that adorn a waxy rosette of succulent leaves. It resembles a reduced desert form of the more coastal chalk dudleya, Dudleya pulverulenta, but differs in its smaller stature, lower number of leaves, and orientation of the flowers. Native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, it is widespread in range, but is primarily found in scattered, widely separated localities. It can be found as far west as coastal Ensenada to the desolate desert ranges of Nevada. It is one of two species of Dudleya that occur in Arizona, the other being Dudleya saxosa subsp. collomiae, and is the only species on mainland Mexico and in Utah.

<i>Dudleya cymosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> pumila</i> Subspecies of plant

Dudleya cymosasubsp. pumila, most commonly known as the low canyon dudleya, chalky canyon dudleya or California live-forever, is a species of perennial succulent plant. It has diamond to spoon shaped leaves, sometimes coated with a fine white powder, and in May through July, bright red, orange or yellow flowers adorn the short inflorescence. A leaf succulent primarily found growing in rocky cliffs and slopes, it is endemic to California, and grows in the Transverse Ranges and South Coast Ranges, with some outlying populations. A variable plant, in some localities it is difficult to distinguish from other plants in the genus.

<i>Dudleya crassifolia</i> Species of succulent plant from Mexico

Dudleya crassifolia is a species of drought deciduous, corm-forming succulent plant known by common name as the thick-leaf dudleya. It is an incredibly rare and cryptic plant native to one small locale less than a hectare in area on the Colonet peninsula in Baja California. It is threatened by urban development, including a proposed seaport. It is characterized by white, spreading flowers with leaf bases that are persistent on the stem. Although it did not receive as much media attention as the neighboring Dudleya hendrixii, it has been noted that the plant has several similarities to cryptic succulents like Anacampseros.

<i>Dudleya cymosa <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> marcescens</i> Subspecies of deciduous succulent plant

Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens is a species of summer-deciduous succulent plant known commonly as the marcescent dudleya or marcescent liveforever. Throughout the months of spring, it is characterized by a bloom of small, bright-yellow flowers with 5 petals, tinged with orange or red. It is a leaf succulent with a basal rosette, with the foliage withering in summer, going completely leafless, a neotenous trait in the genus. This species is endemic to the exposed volcanic rock of the Santa Monica Mountains in California, being found on shady slopes and outcroppings. It differs from its local congeners with its deciduous habit, slender caudex, and narrower leaf shape, although it is superseded in some of these characteristics by Dudleya parva, growing 13 km to the north, which has even narrower leaves and is quicker to lose them. Because of its restricted distribution and small size, it is vulnerable to habitat degradation and disturbance from acts of graffiti and rock climbers. It is listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McCabe, Stephen Ward; Dodero, Mark W.; Simpson, Michael G. (2016-10-01). "Dudleya hendrixii A New, Rare Species From Colonet Mesa, Baja California". Madroño. 63 (4): 359–365. doi:10.3120/0024-9637-63.4.359. ISSN   0024-9637. S2CID   90325307.
  2. Moran, Reid. "Dudleya subg. Hasseanthus". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 5 April 2022 via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  3. 1 2 Service, City News. "SDSU Researchers Name New Species Of Succulent After Legendary Guitarist". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2017-04-20.