''Pycnanthemum californicum'' is a species of
flowering plant in the
mint family known by the common name Sierra mint, mountain mint, and California mint.
[Calflora: ''Pycnanthemum californicum'']
/ref>[Jepson eFlora: ''Pycnanthemum californicum'']
/ref>
Distribution
The plant is endemic to California, where it is native to the Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
, Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...
, Eastern Transverse Ranges, and Inner Northern California Coast Ranges.[
It grows at elevations of , 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 ...
, California oak woodland, California mixed evergreen forest
:
California mixed evergreen forest is a plant community found in the mountain ranges of California and southwestern Oregon.
The Mixed evergreen forest plant community is native to the Northern and Southern California Coast Ranges and Sierra Nev ...
, and Yellow pine forest
Ponderosa pine forest is a plant association and plant community dominated by ponderosa pine and found in western North America. It is found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast Ranges in the Western United States and Western Canada. In ...
habitats.[
]
Description
''Pycnanthemum californicum'' is a perennial herb growing erect in height. It has hairless to fuzzy, aromatic herbage. The oppositely arranged leaves are lance-shaped to nearly oval, each a few centimeters long.[
The inflorescences are located in clusters about the stem just above each upper pair of leaves. Each flower has a whitish upper lip and a purplish lower lip, sometimes with spots. The bloom period is June through September.][
]
References
External links
Calflora Database: ''Pycnanthemum californicum'' (Mountain mint, Sierra mint, California mint)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Pycnanthemum californicum''USDA Plants Profile for ''Pycnanthemum californicum'' (Sierra mint)UC Photos gallery of ''Pycnanthemum californicum'' (Sierra mint, Mountain mint)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13946214
californicum
Endemic flora of California
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges
Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
Plants described in 1855
Taxa named by John Torrey
Flora without expected TNC conservation status