Monardella

Monardella
Monardella hypoleuca ssp. lanata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Monardella
L.
Synonyms[1]

Madronella Greene

Monardella is a genus of 28 species of annual and perennial plants native to western North America from British Columbia to northwestern Mexico.[1][2][3] They are grown for their highly aromatic foliage, which in some species is used for herbal teas. The 2-lipped, tubular flowers are formed in terminal clusters and are most usually red, pink, or purple.[4]

Plants in this genus are commonly known as wildmints, coyote mints or monardellas.

Species[1]
  1. Monardella arizonica Epling - Arizona
  2. Monardella australis Abrams - southern California
  3. Monardella beneolens Shevock, Ertter & Jokerst - southern California
  4. Monardella boydii A.C.Sanders & Elvin - southern California
  5. Monardella breweri A.Gray - California, Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
  6. Monardella candicans Benth. - San Joaquín Valley of California
  7. Monardella douglasii Benth. - San Francisco Bay area of California
  8. Monardella eplingii Elvin et al.[5] - Arizona
  9. Monardella eremicola A.C.Sanders & Elvin - southern California
  10. Monardella exilis (A.Gray) Greene - southern California, Arizona
  11. Monardella follettii (Jeps.) Jokerst - northern Sierra Nevada in California
  12. Monardella hypoleuca A.Gray - southern California, Baja California
  13. Monardella lagunensis M.E.Jones - Baja California Sur
  14. †Monardella leucocephala A.Gray - Meced + Stanislaus Counties in California but believed to be extinct
  15. Monardella linoides A.Gray - California, Arizona, Nevada, Baja California
  16. Monardella macrantha A.Gray - California, Baja California
  17. Monardella mojavensis Elvin & A.C.Sanders - Mohave Desert of southeastern California + southern Nevada
  18. Monardella nana A.Gray - California, Baja California
  19. Monardella odoratissima Benth. - Mountain Wildmint, Mountain Coyote Mint or Mountain Pennyroyal - much of western North America from British Columbia south to southern California + New Mexico
  20. Monardella palmeri A.Gray - Santa Lucia Mountains of west-central California
  21. †Monardella pringlei A.Gray - Mohave Desert of southeastern California but believed to be extinct
  22. Monardella purpurea Howell - Oregon, California
  23. Monardella robisonii Epling ex Munz - Mohave Desert of southeastern California
  24. Monardella saxicola I.M.Johnst. - southeastern California
  25. Monardella sheltonii Torr. ex Durand - Oregon, California
  26. Monardella sinuata Elvin & A.C.Sanders - coastal central California
  27. Monardella siskiyouensis Hardham - northern California
  28. Monardella stebbinsii Hardham & Bartel - Plumas County in northern California
  29. Monardella stoneana Elvin & A.C.Sanders - San Diego County in California, Baja California
  30. Monardella × subglabra (Hoover) Hardham - California (M. purpurea × M villosa)
  31. Monardella thymifolia Greene - Cedros Island in Baja California
  32. Monardella undulata Benth. - coastal central California
  33. Monardella venosa (Torr.) A.C.Sanders & Elvin - central California
  34. Monardella villosa Benth. - (Common) Coyote Mint - Oregon, California
  35. Monardella viridis Jeps. - northern San Francisco Bay area of California (Sonoma, Napa, Solano, + Lake Counties)

Horticulture and ecology

Most like a sunny, sharply drained site and can be attractive in a rock garden or pot in the alpine house if smaller species are selected. The taller ones can be used at the front of a dry sunny border. They have reasonable frost resistance, but resent dampness in winter. Propagate from seed or summer cuttings of perennial species, or by division of clumps.

Monardella is a foodplant for some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) caterpillars. These include the Endangered Myrtle's Silverspot Butterfly (Speyeria zerene myrtleae).

Several species are rare California endemics; two, the Merced Monardella (M. leucocephala) and Pringle's Monardella (M. pringlei), have not been seen in many decades and are presumed extinct.[6][7]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monardella.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
  3. ↑ Elvin, M.A. & Sanders, A.C. (2009). Nomenclatural changes for Monardella (Lamiaceae) in California. Novon 19: 315-343.
  4. ↑ Jepson Manual Treatment
  5. ↑ Elvin, M. A., et al. (2013). Monardella eplingii, a new species from the Black Mountains of northwestern Arizona, USA. Madroño 60(1) 46-54.
  6. ↑ Jepson Manual Treatment: M. leucocephala
  7. ↑ Jepson Manual Treatment: M. pringlei

External links