''Dudleya multicaulis'' is a succulent plant known by the common name manystem liveforever or many-stemmed dudleya. This ''

Dudleya ''Dudleya'', commonly known as liveforevers (Spanish: ''siemprevivas'') is a genus of succulent plants in the stonecrop family, Crassulaceae, consisting of about 68 taxa in southwestern North America and Guadalupe Island. The species come in mu ...

'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

, where it is rare and seriously threatened as its habitat is altered by humans. Many occurrences of this species have been

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

. This species is characterized by a few short, fingerlike cylindrical leaves with pointed tips, and its erect peduncle, which is topped with a branching inflorescence bearing up to 15 flowers on each long, thin branch. The flowers, which appear in late spring, have pointed yellow petals and long stamens. It is usually found on heavy clay or rocky soils and outcrops.

Description

Morphology

''Dudleya multicaulis'' is thought to represent the most basal member of the ''Dudleya'' subgenus ''Hasseanthus'', which are characterized by

paedomorphic Neoteny (), also called juvenilization,Montagu, A. (1989). Growing Young. Bergin & Garvey: CT. is the delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny is found in modern humans compare ...

adaptations including vernal foliage and an underground, tuberous caudex also seen in ''Dudleya'' seedlings. The caudex has been reduced to a subterranean structure roughly equivalent to a

corm A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ' ...

. The corm has an oblong shape, and measures long by wide. The leaves are arranged in 1 to 4 rosettes which are wide. The 5 to 15 green leaves are summer deciduous, with their surfaces not or somewhat glaucous. The leaves are shaped cylindric and linear except at the base, with the bases flushing with purple-red when the leaves are detached or damaged at that point. The leaves measure long by wide, with the base wide, and the tip of the leaf sharply acute. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...

is on a peduncle high and wide. There are 7 to 18 strongly ascending bracts, with a similar linear shape to the rosette leaves. The inflorescence may first branch 2 or more times, and then subsequently rebranch 0 to 1 more times. The terminal branches (cincinni) are long, and have 3 to 15 flowers, which are suspended on

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

long. The flowers are odorless. The petals are connate for , and spread from the near middle, colored a bright yellow to a fading pale-yellow, and often lined-red at the keel. The petals are shaped elliptic-lanceolate and measure long by wide. The apex of the petals is acute. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s measure long and are shaped deltate-acute. The corolla measures in diameter. The

pistils Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) '' pistils' ...

are connate for and are ascending. The

ovaries The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...

are long, while the styles are . Flowering is in late spring from May to June.

Distribution and habitat

''Dudleya multicaulis'' is endemic to the Los Angeles coastal plain and the adjacent hills, parts of the

Transverse Transverse may refer to: *Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle *Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally * Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tangen ...

and

Peninsular A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

ranges, and south towards northern

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

. It is distributed in

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, Riverside, and San Diego counties, and historically,

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

. There are 31 extant occurrences of this species, 41 occurrences of unknown status, and at least 31 or more extirpated occurrences. ''D. multicaulis'' is primarily found on heavy soils, usually clay, rocky hillsides, and sandstone outcrops. Because of the urbanization of habitat, the species is declining.

Gallery

File:Many-stemmed dudleya 8.jpg, A cluster of plants File:Many-stemmed dudleya 6.jpg, Detail of the developing buds File:Many-stemmed dudleya 4.jpg, A plant with budding inflorescences File:Dudleya multicaulis.jpg, Flowers and buds File:Dudleya multicaulis 77734572.jpg, Flowering in habitat

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Dudleya multicaulis''USDA Plants Profile''Dudleya multicaulis'' - Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10957356 multicaulis Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of Orange County, California Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Taxa named by Reid Venable Moran