Kingdom Plantae Family Lamiaceae Scientific name Lepechinia cardiophylla Rank Species | Order Lamiales Genus Lepechinia Higher classification Lepechinia | |
Similar Lepechinia, Lamiaceae, Monardella hypoleuca, Acanthomintha ilicifolia, Navarretia fossalis | ||
Lepechinia cardiophylla is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names Santa Ana pitcher sage and heart-leaved pitcher sage. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges — in the Santa Ana Mountains of Southern California and the coastal mountain range of northern Baja California.
Few populations of the plant are known and many of them are located in areas that are threatened by development and other human activity.
Description
Lepechinia cardiophylla is an aromatic shrub with branching stems covered in resin glands. The hairy, glandular leaves are heart-shaped to oval-shaped and often toothed along the edges.
The raceme inflorescence bears flowers on prominent pedicels. Each flower is a cuplike calyx of glandular sepals around a tubular white to lavender corolla. The corolla is curled back at the mouth into small lips.
The fruit is a dark colored, hairless body a few millimeters long which develops within the calyx of sepals.