Flaxleaf Monardella
Monardella linoides
Color: Lavender to purple
Common name: Flaxleaf Monardella and Willowy Monardella.
Latin name: Monardella linoides
Family: LAMIACEAE
Height: 2.5 feet
Description: Monardella linoides is a gray-green perennial herb producing a silvery to ash-gray slender erect stem with densely matted hairs. The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pale whitish or pink-tinged papery bracts 2 or 3 centimeters wide. The flowers are just over a centimeter long and light purple in color.
Leaf: The linear to oval fragrant leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long and coated in grayish hairs.
Range: Mojave Desert, s High Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountain Area, s South Coast, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, sw Peninsular Ranges, San Jacinto Mountains, East of Sierra Nevada
Habitat: Desert scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland, open conifer forest, subalpine
Elevation: 900–3100 m.
Flowering time: May-Jun
Notes: Monardella linoides is a dicot that is native to California and is found only slightly beyond California borders. This photo was taken on July 22, 2006 in the Bald Mountains Botanical Area, Kern County, California.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
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