''Dudleya anthonyi'' is a species of

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meanin ...

known commonly as the San Quintín liveforever. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

San Quintín volcanic field The San Quintín Volcanic Field is a collection of ten or eleven volcanic cinder cones situated along the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. The field formed by repeated eruptions beginning in the Pleistocene and ending ab ...

, which encompasses the Bahia San Quintín and the adjacent

Isla San Martín Isla San Martín is an island in the Pacific Ocean west of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Ensenada Municipality. Biology Isla San Martín has six species of reptiles: ''Anniella geronimensis'' (Baja ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

. ''Dudleya anthonyi'' is a relatively large

rosette Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...

-forming succulent and is characterized by its leaves and inflorescences that are coated in a white, chalky

powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...

. It is quite similar to its close relative, the widespread ''

Dudleya pulverulenta ''Dudleya pulverulenta'' is a species of Perennial plant, perennial succulent plant known by the common names chalk lettuce, chalk dudleya, and chalk liveforever. It is one of the largest ''Dudleya'', with a silvery, waxy rosette that may greatl ...

'', but ''Dudleya anthonyi'' is distinguished by its narrower and acute basal leaves and

bracts In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also loo ...

, along with narrower and pointed

sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

and

petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...

. Like its close relative, ''Dudleya anthonyi'' is one of the few members of the genus ''Dudleya'' that have a

pollination syndrome Pollination syndromes are suites of flower traits that have evolved in response to natural selection imposed by different Pollination, pollen vectors, which can be abiotic (wind and water) or biotic, such as birds, bees, flies, and so forth thro ...

almost exclusively favoring hummingbird pollinators, adaptations which are reflected by its long, red, and pendent flowers.

Description

''Dudleya anthonyi'' is very similar in appearance to ''

''. Its stem leaves are narrower, its petals are narrower and united only below the middle, its sepals are narrow above but broadened at the base, and its petals are sharply acute. ''Dudleya anthonyi'' may usually be distinguished from ''D. puverulenta'' by its narrower and more rigid leaves, which taper from the base. The form of the plants varies persistent with location. Plants found on San Martin tend to be larger and with wider leaves than their counterparts on the coast of San Quintin Bay. Further south along the coast, another form exists in Socorro Canyon, with tall, erect stems, giving a resemblance of miniature trees. The plant is unusual among ''Dudleya'' in that after seed is set, the flowers and their pedicels will become almost vertical. Flowering is from early June to July.

Taxonomy

The plant is named in honor of the ornithologist Alfred Anthony, who visited the area in 1897. The species is known to hybridize with '' Dudleya cultrata'' on Isla San Martín. Their range overlaps on both the mainland and San Martín, but the hybrid is only obvious on the island. The chromosome number is n = 17.

Distribution and habitat

''Dudleya anthonyi'' occurs is restricted to the

, the scope of which includes the island of San Martin and the adjacent coast and peninsulas in the San Quintin Bay. The plant has a tendency to occur, like other ''Dudleya'', on cliffs and canyons.

References

External links

crassulaceae.com - Dudleya anthonyi

Plants of the World Online - Dudleya anthonyi

The genus Dudleya Britton & Rose (Crassulaceae): its systematics and biology.
anthonyi Flora of Baja California Endemic flora of Mexico Flora of the California desert regions Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Taxa named by Joseph Nelson Rose Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Crassulaceae-stub