| Eriodictyon capitatum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Eriodictyon |
| Species: | E. capitatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Eriodictyon capitatum | |
Eriodictyon capitatum, the Lompoc yerba santa, is a rare evergreen shrub in the borage family. It is endemic to western Santa Barbara County, in California.
The plant is endemic to western Santa Barbara County, California, where it is known from only five remaining populations, two of which are located on Vandenberg Air Force Base. [1] It was made a federally listed endangered species in 2000. [2] Besides the Vandenberg populations, there are two populations located just north of Lompoc and a single population just south on the slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains. [1]
This plant grows in two types of habitat. [1] The first is California coastal sage and chaparral, including maritime chaparral and coastal sage scrub on sandstone soils. Here it grows amongst buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus), black sage (Salvia mellifera) and California sagebrush (Artemisia californica). The second habitat type of the plant is coastal coniferous forest, where it is often associated with bishop pine (Pinus muricata). [1]
Eriodictyon capitatum is rare plant produces hairless, resinous, sticky stems up to about 3 meters (9 feet) tall. The bark is shreddy.
The leathery herbage is aromatic, lining the stems with very narrow linear leaves up to 9 centimeters long.
The inflorescence is a cluster of hairy bell-shaped lavender flowers.
The plant undergoes both sexual and vegetative reproduction. During the latter it produces more aboveground stems from its rootstock, sometimes creating a "population" of many plants which are actually one genetic individual. [2] Some occurrences are made up of fewer than 20 plants. [1]
Threats to the existence of this species include non-native plants and fire management regimes in the area. Also, the plant is not prolific in its reproduction, producing little seed. Because some colonies are made up of clones, this self-incompatible plant has less chance of being pollinated by genetically separate individuals. [1]
Coastal sage scrub, also known as coastal scrub, CSS, or soft chaparral, is a low scrubland plant community of the California coastal sage and chaparral subecoregion, found in coastal California and northwestern coastal Baja California. It is within the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
Eriodictyon trichocalyx is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name hairy yerba santa.
Eriodictyon altissimum is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Indian Knob mountainbalm. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from only about six occurrences in the Irish Hills on the coast and nearby Indian Knob.
Eriodictyon crassifolium, or thickleaf yerba santa, is a shrub in the borage family. "Crassifolium" means "thick leaf."
Cercocarpus traskiae, known by the common names Santa Catalina Island mountain-mahogany and Catalina mahogany, is a rare species of plant in the rose family.
Dudleya stolonifera is a succulent plant known by the common name Laguna Beach liveforever. 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, totalling about 30,000 individuals. It is federally listed as a threatened species of the United States.
Allium munzii is a rare species of wild onion known by the common name Munz's onion.
Arctostaphylos montaraensis, known by the common name Montara manzanita, is a species of manzanita in the family Ericaceae.
Arctostaphylos purissima is a species of manzanita known by the common name La Purisima manzanita.
Astragalus brauntonii is a rare species of milkvetch known by the common name Braunton's milkvetch. It is endemic to California, where it is known from fewer than 20 extant occurrences in the hills and mountains surrounding the Los Angeles Basin in Southern California. This is a federally listed endangered species in the United States.
Astragalus pycnostachyus is a species of milkvetch known by the common name marsh milkvetch. It is endemic to the coastline of California, where it grows in wet saline habitat such as marshes.
Baccharis vanessae is a rare California species of baccharis known by the common name Encinitas baccharis. It is native primarily to San Diego County, California, almost endemic to the county except for one population a few miles over the county line in Riverside County. It is a member of the chaparral flora. It is a federally listed threatened species. It is present in several sites in Encinitas, and it is known from other parts of the county from the coastline to the mountains on various substrates. There are perhaps 15 populations remaining, for a total of about 2000 individuals. Some of the remaining occurrences are on land which may be cleared for development.
Chaenactis glabriuscula, with the common name Yellow pincushion, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family. It is native to California and Baja California.
Monardella frutescens is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name San Luis Obispo monardella.
Monardella undulata is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name curlyleaf monardella.
The California coastal sage and chaparral is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion located in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California (Mexico). It is part of the larger California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion.
Platanthera cooperi is an uncommon species of orchid known by the common names Cooper's rein orchid and chaparral rein orchid.
Agnorhiza reticulata, known by the common name El Dorado County mule's ears, is a rare species of flowering plant found only in a small region of north-central California.
Poa diaboli is a rare species of grass known by the common name Diablo Canyon bluegrass. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from about five occurrences in the San Luis Mountains near the coast. The type specimen was collected in Montaña de Oro State Park and the grass was described as a new species in 2003. The grass occurs on rugged mountaintops and north-facing slopes in thin soils covering shale rock within a few kilometers of the coastline. Its habitat includes chaparral, oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, and Bishop pine forest.
Deinandra minthornii — — is a rare California species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Santa Susana tarplant, or Santa Susana tarweed. It is an endangered species, listed as a Threatened species by the California Department of Fish and Game, as Imperiled under the California Endangered Species Act—CESA, and on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California.
