''Fremontodendron'', with the common names fremontia and flannelbush or flannel bush, is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of three known species of
shrubs
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to the
Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico.
Taxonomy
They are within the botanical
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...
. Formerly they were treated within the
Sterculiaceae Sterculiaceae was a family of flowering plant based on the genus ''Sterculia''. Genera formerly included in Sterculiaceae are now placed in the family Malvaceae, in the subfamilies: Byttnerioideae, Dombeyoideae, Helicteroideae and Sterculioideae.
A ...
, tribe Fremontodendreae, together with the genus ''
Chiranthodendron''. The genus ''Fremontodendron'' was named in dedication to
John C. Frémont,
who first collected it during an 1846 expedition to
Alta California.
Description
The
leaves have a leathery and fuzzy texture reminiscent of
flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, ...
(hence the name), and the yellow to orange
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are large and showy. The leaves and young shoots can cause skin and eye irritation.
Species
There are three species:
* ''
Fremontodendron californicum
''Fremontodendron californicum'', with the common names California flannelbush, California fremontia, and flannel bush, is a flowering shrub native to diverse habitats in southwestern North America.
Distribution
''Fremontodendron californicum'' ...
'' — Californian flannelbush
* ''
Fremontodendron decumbens'' (R. Lloyd) — Pine Hill flannelbush
:: A decumbent and low spreading form, in height and in width, has yellow-orange flowers, and 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 ...
to the
Sierra Nevada foothills, nearly all of the individuals of this subspecies are found in the
Pine Hill Ecological Reserve
Pine Hill Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve of located due east of Folsom Lake in the Sierra Nevada foothills, in El Dorado County, California. The reserve was established in 1979, and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Pi ...
in
El Dorado County
El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville-A ...
. In nature it only grows in metal-rich
gabbro
Gabbro () is a phaneritic (coarse-grained), mafic intrusive igneous rock formed from the slow cooling of magnesium-rich and iron-rich magma into a holocrystalline mass deep beneath the Earth's surface. Slow-cooling, coarse-grained gabbro is ch ...
soil, a red weathered soil of
volcanic origin. It requires fire for seed germination, but with the nature reserve is near human settlements
fire ecology
Fire ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with natural processes involving fire in an ecosystem and the ecological effects, the interactions between fire and the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem, and the role as an ecosystem ...
is suppressed. It is a federally listed
endangered species.
* ''
Fremontodendron mexicanum
''Fremontodendron mexicanum'' is a rare species of shrub in the mallow family known by the common names Mexican flannelbush, Mexican fremontia, and Southern flannelbush, that is endemic to the central Peninsular Ranges in Mexico and the United ...
'' — Mexican flannelbush
::
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 ...
to the central
Peninsular Ranges, known from about ten occurrences in northern
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
state and adjacent southern
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 ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. However, it has most recently been confirmed to exist in only two of those locales currently.
[California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Profile]
/ref>
There are a number of populations of uncertain taxonomy status. They include:
*''Fremontodendron californicum'' ssp. ''napensis'' — Napa fremontia
::The current Jepson manual does not recognize this subspecies, using ''Fremontodendron californicum'', but the form is different enough that it is horticulturally recognized by this name. It is typically smaller and more open in form than the species, with much smaller leaves and flowers. It grows in height and in width.
Cultivation
''Fremontodendrons'' are cultivated as ornamental plants. They are valued for their bright yellow flowers, produced over a long period on a rapidly growing shrub or small tree. They are tolerant of pruning for size or shaping. They are adapted to dry, poor soils in a summer-dry, warm, sunny climate. They may succumb to root rot in heavy clay soils and/or summer irrigation.
The three species and varied hybrids/cultivars are used in native plant
In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...
, water-conserving, and wildlife garden
A wildlife garden (or wild garden) is an environment created by a gardener that serves as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plants, birds, amphibian ...
s in California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. They are also planted in gardens in England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Hybrids
There are several named hybrids of ''Fremontodendron californicum
''Fremontodendron californicum'', with the common names California flannelbush, California fremontia, and flannel bush, is a flowering shrub native to diverse habitats in southwestern North America.
Distribution
''Fremontodendron californicum'' ...
'' and ''Fremontodendron mexicanum
''Fremontodendron mexicanum'' is a rare species of shrub in the mallow family known by the common names Mexican flannelbush, Mexican fremontia, and Southern flannelbush, that is endemic to the central Peninsular Ranges in Mexico and the United ...
'' in the horticultural trade, they include:
*''Fremontodendron'' 'California Glory' — lemon-yellow flowers with a reddish tinge, grows in height by in width. It is the winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the California Horticultural Society in 1965, and received a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
in 1967.
*''Fremontodendron'' 'Ken Taylor' — golden flowers with a darker orange outside petals in the spring and summer, and grows to only in height by in width.
*''Fremontodendron'' 'Dara's Gold' — golden flowers over a long period from late winter through early summer, grows in height by in width. A hybrid between ''Fremontodendron decumbens'' and ''Fremontodendron mexicanum''.San Marcos Growers: Fremontodendron 'Dara's Gold'
/ref>
References
External links
CalFlora Database: Species of genus ''Fremontodendron''
Malvaceae.info: Fremontodendreae webpages (''Fremontodendron'' and ''Chiranthodendron'')
— ''in the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve
Pine Hill Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve of located due east of Folsom Lake in the Sierra Nevada foothills, in El Dorado County, California. The reserve was established in 1979, and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Pi ...
''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2703645
Bombacoideae
Flora of California
Flora of Baja California
Flora of the Southwestern United States
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
John C. Frémont
Malvaceae genera
Garden plants of North America
Drought-tolerant plants
Shrubs