''Heuchera hirsutissima'' is a species of flowering plant in the
saxifrage family
Saxifragaceae is a family of herbaceous perennial flowering plants, within the core eudicot order Saxifragales. The taxonomy of the family has been greatly revised and the scope much reduced in the era of molecular phylogenetic analysis. The fa ...
known by the common name shaggy-haired alumroot.
Distribution
The perennial 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 elsew ...
to the
San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains (''Avii Hanupach''Munro, P., et al. ''A Mojave Dictionary''. Los Angeles: UCLA. 1992. in Mojave) are a mountain range in Riverside County, located east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mou ...
of
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a County (United States), county located in the southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most ...
, where it grows on rocky slopes.
While uncommon in the wild, this species is cultivated as an attractive garden flower and
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
.
Description
''Heuchera hirsutissima'' is a
rhizomatous
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
perennial herb with small, lobed, rounded leaves.
It produces an erect, hairy
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
which bears light pink flowers.
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment of ''Heuchera hirsutissima''''Heuchera hirsutissima'' — UC Photo gallery
hirsutissima
Endemic flora of California
Flora of Riverside County, California
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges
Flora and fauna of the San Jacinto Mountains
Garden plants of North America
Plants described in 1936
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Saxifragaceae-stub