Battle of Backbone Mountain

Isocoma menziesii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common name Menzies' goldenbush.

It is native to California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, where it grows in coastal and inland habitat such as chaparral, particularly in sandy soils.^[2]

Description

Isocoma menziesii is a subshrub forming a matted bush reaching heights of 1–2 m (39–79 in). The erect branching stems may be hairless to woolly, are generally glandular, and vary in color from gray-green to reddish brown.^[3]

The leaves are oval-shaped to somewhat rectangular, gray-green and sometimes hairy and glandular, and 1–5 cm (0.39–1.97 in) long with stumpy teeth along the edges.^[3]

The abundant inflorescences are clusters of thick flower heads. Each head is a capsule with layers of thick, pointed, greenish phyllaries. The head is filled with large, protruding, cylindrical yellow disc florets with long stigmas.^[3]

Varieties

Isocoma menziesii var. decumbens (Greene) G.L.Nesom – far northern Baja California, San Diego County, Channel Islands
Isocoma menziesii var. diabolica G. L. Nesom – Santa Clara + San Benito Counties
Isocoma menziesii var. menziesii – Baja California, Baja California Sur, San Diego County, Orange County, western Riverside County, Channel Islands
Isocoma menziesii var. sedoides (Greene) G.L.Nesom – from Orange to San Luis Obispo Counties including Channel Islands
Isocoma menziesii var. tridentata (Greene) G.L.Nesom – southern Baja California including Isla Cedros, northern Baja California Sur
Isocoma menziesii var. vernonioides (Nutt.) G.L.Nesom – from Monterey County to northern Baja California^[2]^[1]^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b The Plant List, Isocoma menziesii (Hook. & Arn.) G.L.Nesom
^ ^a ^b Nesom, G.L. 1991. Taxonomy of Isocoma (Compositae: Astereae). Phytologia 70(2): 69–114 includes distribution map on page 72
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). "Isocoma menziesii". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

External links

Media related to Isocoma menziesii at Wikimedia Commons

[tavvy-1] The Plant List, Isocoma menziesii (Hook. & Arn.) G.L.Nesom

[tassy-2] Nesom, G.L. 1991. Taxonomy of Isocoma (Compositae: Astereae). Phytologia 70(2): 69–114 includes distribution map on page 72

[tammy-3] Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). "Isocoma menziesii". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

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