''Ravenella sharsmithiae'' is a rare species of
bellflower known by the common names Mt. Hamilton bellflower and Sharsmith's harebell. 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
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 ...
, where it is known from just a few occurrences in the higher mountain peaks just south of the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
, including
Mt. Hamilton and
Mount Boardman in the
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay Area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley a ...
. It is a small, hairy annual herb producing an erect stem up to 25 centimeters tall. The fleshy, toothed leaves are a centimeter long or less. The flower is funnel- or bell-shaped and purple in color. The plant is named for late local botanist
Helen Sharsmith
Helen Katherine Meyers Sharsmith (August 26, 1905 – November 10, 1982) was an American biologist and educator.
Biography
Helen Sharsmith was born in on August 26, 1905 in Oakland, California. She studied zoology at the University of Ca ...
.
Previously considered part of the genus
Campanula
''Campanula'' () is the type genus of the Campanulaceae family (biology), family of flowering plants. ''Campanula'' are commonly known as bellflowers and take both their common and scientific names from the bell-shaped flowers—''campanula'' i ...
, this species (along with
Ravenella exigua,
Ravenella angustiflora
''Ravenella angustiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. It is known by the common name Eastwood's bellflower. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the serpentine soils of the hills and mountain ...
, and
Ravenella griffinii) were reclassed into the new genus
Ravenella
''Ravenella'' is a genus of plants in family Campanulaceae. It includes four species endemic to 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. ...
after several studies concluded that the genus was
polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...
.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
Campanuloideae
Endemic flora of California
Plants described in 1980
{{Campanulaceae-stub