''Heterocodon'' is a
monotypic genus
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
of plants in the
bellflower family containing the single species ''Heterocodon rariflorum'', which is known by the common names rareflower heterocodon and western pearlflower. It is native to western North America from
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
to
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 ...
to
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, where it emerges during the spring in wet areas such as meadows. This is an annual herb producing a very thin, erect stem to 30 centimeters in maximum height. It branches few times if at all and is dark green to reddish in color. Leaves are occasional along the stem and are heart-shaped to rounded with a toothed edge. Also at occasions along the stem are the flowers, which emerge from a base of toothed or spiny leaflike
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 a few millimeters long. The corolla of the flower is a cylindrical tube 3 to 5 millimeters long, blue or lavender with darker veining and a lighter throat, and spreading into triangular lobes at the mouth.
References
External links
The Jepson eFlora 2013USDA PLANTSCalPhotos
Campanuloideae
Flora of North America
Monotypic Campanulaceae genera
{{Campanulaceae-stub