Kingdom Plantae Family Asteraceae Tribe Heliantheae Rank Species | Order Asterales Subfamily Asteroideae Genus Deinandra | |
Similar Deinandra conjugens, Deinandra, Deinandra fasciculata, Holocarpha macradenia, Hemizonia | ||
Deinandra mohavensis (syn. Hemizonia mohavensis) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Mojave tarplant, or Mojave tarweed.
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Distribution
The plant is endemic to California. It has a disjunct distribution, occurring in the southernmost Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, the Peninsular Ranges, and possibly the San Bernardino Mountains. It grows in moister areas in chaparral and riparian zone habitat.
Description
Deinandra mohavensis is an annual herb growing 10-100 centimeters (4-40 inches) tall. The stems are hairy and glandular. The leaves are bristly and glandular and smooth-edged or serrated on the edges.
The flower heads are borne in clusters or somewhat open arrangements. The heads are lined with very glandular phyllaries. Each contains five yellow ray florets, each about half a centimeter long, and six yellow disc florets.
Conservation
This plant was considered extinct for over 50 years because its historical populations had disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1994 in the San Jacinto Mountains.