Woodland Monolopia

Woodland Woollythreads
Monolopia gracilens
NATIVE – CA ENDEMIC

Description (Jepson, PlantID.net)

• Eudicotyledon
  • Eudicots are a major lineage of flowering plants; see family for general characteristics
• Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)
• Annual herb
• Stems slender and branching
• Leaves
  • Opposite at base, then alternate
  • Linear to ovate, sometimes toothed
  • Woolly
• Flowers
  • Inflorescence (flower arrangement) of one or several radiate heads (see Sunflower family)
    • 7-11 yellow female (pistillate) ray flowers, sometimes slightly lobed
    • Numerous bisexual disk flowers, creating a central, golden-yellow dome
  • Phyllaries (vase-like floral bracts, collectively called the involucre) 7-11, in 1 series (rank), 1 per ray flower
  • Ovary inferior (below the attachment of other flower parts)
• Fruit is an achene (a single-seeded, dry fruit that does not split open), more specifically called a cypsela because of the inferior position of the ovary
• Height to 31 in.

Distribution

• Native and endemic (limited) to California
  • Grows in serpentine grassland, chaparral, and oak woodland
  • 55-64% of plants occur on ultramafic soils, e.g. serpentine; see ultramafic affinity rankings (Calfora per Safford and Miller 2020)
  • See Serpentine Grassland for more about Edgewood’s serpentine soil and the unique communities it supports
  • See Calflora for statewide observations of this plant
• California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere)
  • The genus Monolopia is endemic (limited) to California, and M. gracilens grows only in the Bay Area and into the South Coast Ranges
• Grows at elevations between 330 ft. and 3,940 ft.

Uses (San Mateo County Parks prohibits removal of any natural material)

• No documented wildlife or human uses found for this species

Name Derivation

• Monolopia (mon-oh-LO-pee-a) – from the Greek monos, “one,” and lopos, “covering,” describing the single row of phyllaries
• gracilens (gra-SIL-ens) – from the Latin gracieux, meaning “graceful” or “slender”
• Woodland monolopia – Despite its common name, woodland monolopia grows in a variety of habitats within its limited range

Notes

• Woolly hairs on leaves reflect harsh sun rays and help maintain humidity

ID Tips

• May be confused with goldfields (Lasthenia species), also in the Sunflower family, but the stout stems and thick, woolly leaves of woodland monolopia are very distinctive.

At Edgewood

• Found in chaparral along the Clarkia trail
  • No iNaturalist observations are documented because locations of rare species are obscured
• Flowers April – June

Specific References

Alexander, E.B. 2010, Oct. and 2011, Jan. Serpentine soils and why they limit plant survival and growth. Fremontia 38/39: 28-31.

Safford, H.D., and J.E.D. Miller. 2020. An updated database of serpentine endemism in the California flora. Madroño 67(2): 85-104. BioOne Complete. PDF hosted by San Diego State University, San Diego, California.

General References

Calflora Database. 2014. Berkeley, California.

Calscape. 2018. California Native Plant Society.

Charters, M.L. 2015. California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations.

Charters, M.L. 2017. Southern California Wildflowers: Guide to the Pronunciation of Specific, Generic and Family Names.

Corelli, T. 2004. Flowering Plants of Edgewood Natural Preserve (2nd. ed.). Monocot Press, Half Moon Bay, California.

Dave’s Garden.

Elpel, T.J. 2013. Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification. HOPS Press, Pony, Montana.

Flora of North America. efloras.org.

Harris, J.G., and M.W. Harris. 2013. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah.

Keator, G. 2009. California Plant Families. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California.

Native American Ethnobotany DB.

Regents of the University of California. Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium. University of California, Berkeley.