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)
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)

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

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: 85-104. BioOne Complete.