Monardella odoratissima
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| Monardella odoratissima Benth |
Monardella odoratissima (Mountain Coyote Mint or Mountain Pennyroyal) is a perennial flowering plant which grows in mountain forests and sagebrush scrub. It is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint family. It has the minty odor characteristic of this family. There are approximately 20 species in the genus Monardella. Many of the species hybridize freely. Monardella is only found in Western North America. Some species of Monardella have been infused as tea by indigenous people.
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[edit] Distribution
Monardella odoratissima is found in montane forests above 600 m. and below 3100 m. It is found in many Northern California mountain ranges, including the Klamath Mountains and the North Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada, the Modoc Plateau, White Mountains and Inyo Mountains. It is found outside California, as far north as Washington, and east in Nevada.
[edit] Characteristics
M. odoratissima is a upright to sprawling perennial herb which can be woody at the base. It ranges from .3 m. to 1 m. in height and equally wide. The plant can be either a smooth dark green or a hairy dark grey-green, with many gradations in between. It is dotted with glands which release a strongly minty odor when the plant is touched.
The leaves can lance-shaped to ovate, and are entire. They range from 5 mm. to 45 mm.
The flowers range in color from white and pale pink to light bluish-purple. The inflorescence is a head, which can be from 10 mm. to 25 mm. wide, with outer bracts which are like leaves, and inside bracts which enclose the many flowers like a cup. These bracts can be hairy or smooth, and sometimes have a rose or purplish color. The calyx, which is inside these bracts, is hairy and has 5 lobes.The corolla is tubular and has two lips. The upper lip is erect and has two lobes, but the lower lip curves downward and has 3 lobes. It has 4 stamens, and a style which has two unequal lobes.
The fruits, like most of fruits of the mint family, are 4 smooth nutlets which are dark brown to black in color.
[edit] Horticulture
Monardella odoratissima is easy to grow. Although the Monardellas are in the mint family, most Monardellas do not grow from runners. However, they can still be propagated easily from cuttings. They are very attractive to butterflies, which are their main pollinator. Monardella odoratissima will grow in full sun to medium shade. It can be pruned lightly in the late fall or early winter to create a bushier plant, as they can otherwise be sprawling. They bloom profusely anytime from April through August. Because they are floriferous, they look best when spent blooms are deadheaded.
[edit] References
Jokerst, James D. ; Jepson Manual treatment for Monardella odoratissima. Jepson Flora Project Interchange, Regents of the University of California. [Online], http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4789,4824
Bornstein, Fross, and O'Brien, 2005. California Native Plants for the Garden. Cachuma Press
Abrams, Leroy; 1951. Illustrated flora of the Pacific States, Stanford University Press
