''Monardella arizonica'' is a plant

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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 ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

in the United States, known by the common name Arizona monardella.

Ancient history

The species has been confirmed to have been native to northern Arizona since at least the Late Wisconsin late glacial period based upon

pollen core Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains h ...

analysis at the Waterman Mountains (

Coconino County Coconino County is a County (United States), county in the North Central Arizona, North-Central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff, Arizon ...

) - (not the

Waterman Mountains The Waterman Mountains are a low mountainous landform in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Notable among the tree species is the elephant tree (''Bursera microphylla'') which species exhibits a contorted multi-furcate architecture; most of thes ...

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...

); dominant trees of ''

Juniperus osteosperma ''Juniperus osteosperma'' (Utah juniper; syn. ''J. utahensis'') is a shrub or small tree native to the southwestern United States. Description The plant reaches , rarely to 9 m, tall. The shoots are fairly thick compared to most junipers, i ...

'' and ''

Pinus monophylla ''Pinus monophylla'', the single-leaf pinyon, (alternatively spelled piñon) is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to North America. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and southe ...

'' remain extant species to the present time in this predominantly Pinyon-juniper woodland.C. Michael Hogan. 2009

Description

The two-lipped, tubular flowers are formed in terminal clusters.

Horticulture and ecology

The species has reasonable frost resistance, but resents dampness in winter. The plant can be propagated from seed or summer cuttings of perennial species, or by division of clumps.

References

* C. Michael Hogan. 2009
''Elephant Tree: Bursera microphylla'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg

Line notes

External links