Munzothamnus is a monotypic genus[2][3] of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae containing the single species Munzothamnus blairii, which is known by the common name Blair's wirelettuce, or Blair's munzothamnus. It is endemic to San Clemente Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. It grows along steep, rocky cliffsides and canyons on the island. It is a shrub producing a fleshy, woolly stem usually over a meter in height, often approaching two meters. Leaves occur in tufts at the ends of the stem branches. They are up to 15 centimeters long, oblong in shape, and sometimes very shallowly lobed. They are woolly when new but lose their hairs and become shiny green with age. The inflorescence is a large array of up to 35 flower heads. Each head has a cylindrical base under a centimetre long and contains 9 to 12 light lavender or pinkish flowers. Each flower is a ray floret with an erect tube and a strap-shaped ligule with a toothed tip. The ligule is just under a centimetre long. The fruit is a cylindrical, ribbed achene with a white pappus.
| Munzothamnus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Cichorioideae |
| Tribe: | Cichorieae |
| Subtribe: | Microseridinae |
| Genus: | Munzothamnus P.H.Raven |
| Species: | M. blairii |
| Binomial name | |
| Munzothamnus blairii (Munz & I.M.Johnst.) P.H.Raven | |
| Synonyms | |
Malacothrix blairii | |
Like many Channel Islands endemics, this plant was reduced to rarity by the presence of feral goats on the islands; the goats have been removed.[1]
The Latin name of Munzothamnus refers to the American botanist Philip A. Munz.[4][5]
References
External links
- Jepson Manual Treatment
- USDA Plants Profile
- Flora of North America: M. blairii
- California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Profile
- Photo gallery