''Systenotheca'' is a monotypic plant genus in the

buckwheat family The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus ''Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 ...

containing the single species ''Systenotheca vortriedei'', which is known by the common name Vortriede's spineflower.

Description

This is a small

annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...

growing to a maximum of 15 centimeters in height, and easily identifiable with its red stems and foliage and white flowers.

Distribution

This wildflower 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 ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where it is native to the

Santa Lucia Mountains The Santa Lucia Mountains (sæntə luˈsiːə) or Santa Lucia Range is a rugged mountain range in coastal central California, running from Carmel southeast for to the Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo County. The range is never more than from t ...

of the central coast. This is an uncommon plant in its small native range where it grows in

serpentine soil Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially anti ...

at some elevation.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

Photo gallery
Monotypic Polygonaceae genera Endemic flora of California Santa Lucia Range Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of Monterey County, California Natural history of San Luis Obispo County, California ~ ~ {{Polygonaceae-stub