''Anisocarpus scabridus'', the leafy raillardiopsis, is a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

n species of flowering plants in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

Distribution

It is found only in northwestern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, primarily in scree slopes at relatively high elevations in the

Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States; ; ) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Althoug ...

Humboldt Humboldt may refer to: People * Alexander von Humboldt, German natural scientist, brother of Wilhelm von Humboldt * Wilhelm von Humboldt, German linguist, philosopher, and diplomat, brother of Alexander von Humboldt Fictional characters * Hu ...

, Mendocino,

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

, Tehama, and Colusa Counties. There are also a few isolated populations in the southern Cascades of northern Shasta County.

Description

''Anisocarpus scabridus'' is a small plant rarely more than 2 inches (5 cm) high. It has blue-green leaves and

flower heads A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...

containing both

ray florets Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

and

disc floret Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

s. The plant is quite different in ecology and appearance from the only other species in the genus, '' A. madioides.'' The two were classified in different genera for many years until molecular and anatomical studies in the 1990s demonstrated their close relationship.Baldwin, Bruce G. 1999. Novon 9(4): 462-471.
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References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Anisocarpus scabridus'' (Scabrid alpine tarplant) Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Anisocarpus scabridus''
Madieae Endemic flora of California Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Klamath Mountains Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Plants described in 1905 Taxa named by Alice Eastwood {{Madieae-stub