Stephanomeria diegensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name San Diego wirelettuce.[2] It is native to the coastal hills and ranges of southern California and Baja California, where it grows in many types of open habitat. It evolved as a hybrid of Stephanomeria exigua and S. virgata.[3] Furthermore, it is thought to be the result of homoploid hybrid speciation, which is uncommon.[4] The plant is frequently misidentified as one of its parents, especially if older taxonomic keys are used.[5] This is an erect annual herb easily exceeding two meters in height. Its slender stem has many spreading branches. The basal leaves are linear to lance-shaped and up to 10 centimeters long. The leaves wither early and are absent for most of the year, giving the plant a twiglike appearance. Leaves on the upper stem are small and reduced. The inflorescences are usually clusters of flower heads located at intervals on the stiff branches. Each head has a cylindrical base lined with phyllaries. These are often glandular. The head contains several ray florets, each with an elongated tube and a white or pink-tinged ligule measuring around a centimeter long. The fruit is a grooved achene tipped with a spreading cluster of long, plumelike pappus bristles.
| Stephanomeria diegensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Stephanomeria |
| Species: | S. diegensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Stephanomeria diegensis Gottlieb
| |
References
edit- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
- ^ NRCS. "Stephanomeria diegensis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ^ Gallez, G. P. and L. D. Gottlieb. (1982). Genetic evidence for the hybrid origin of the diploid plant Stephanomeria diegensis. Evolution 36:6 1158-67.
- ^ Sherman, N. A. & J. M. Burke. (2009). Population genetic analysis reveals a homoploid hybrid origin of Stephanomeria diegensis (Asteraceae). Mol Ecol 18:19 4049-60.
- ^ Chester, T. S. diegensis: An analysis
External links
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