''Chlorogalum grandiflorum'' is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Red Hills soap plant. It is
endemic to the
Sierra Nevada foothills, such as the
Red Hills (Tuolumne County)
The Red Hills are a mountain range in Tuolumne County, California.
Elevations within the Red Hills vary between 750 and 1,750 feet above sea level. Slopes of the hills themselves vary from about 30% to 75%.
In 1937 Paramount filmed on location at ...
, of
California, where it grows in
chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
, woodland, and forest.
Description
This uncommon perennial wildflower grows from a red or brown-coated
bulb
In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...
up to 7 centimeters wide. The basal leaves have very wavy edges. The
inflorescence may be a meter long and is composed of many flowers, each with six
tepals which are white with a purple midvein. The tepals are narrow, up to 3 centimeters long, and curl back as they spread open. Each ephemeral flower opens in the evening and closes by the following morning. There are six
stamen
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s tipped with yellow anthers. The fruit is a capsule just over half a centimeter long.
References
External links
Calflora Database: ''Chlorogalum grandiflorum'' (Red Hills soaproot)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Chlorogalum grandiflorum''USDA Plants Profile for ''Chlorogalum grandiflorum''Flora of North AmericaUC Photos gallery — ''Chlorogalum grandiflorum''
grandiflorum
Endemic flora of California
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of El Dorado County, California
Natural history of Placer County, California
Natural history of Tuolumne County, California
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