Monardella eremicola

Clark mountain monardella

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Clark mountain monardella is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native shrub found in the northeastern Mojave Desert Mountains, including the Clark, New York, and Kingston Mountain ranges, on limestone and occasionally granite outcrops in pinyon and juniper woodland at elevations of 1,500 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers with purple markings, appearing lavender, in compact clusters 7 to 20 millimeters wide. Growing with several to many erect stems 15 to 55 centimeters tall, it features gray stems covered in dense, stout conical glands. Its leaves are narrow and pale grayish-green, measuring 12 to 27 millimeters long and 3 to 10 millimeters wide, with an elliptical shape and sparse fine hairs. The plant's distinctive glandular stems and delicate lavender-white flowers make it a unique inhabitant of its desert mountain habitats.

Habitat: Limestone (occasionally granite) outcrops in pinyon/juniper woodland, canyons, slopes, wash margins

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1500-2100 m

Bioregions: ne DMtns (Clark Mtn Range, New York Mtns, Kingston Range).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.