Munzothamnus blairii

Blair's munzothamnus, Blair's Munzothamnus

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Blair's munzothamnus is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found on San Clemente Island in rocky canyon walls at approximately 200 meters elevation. Flowering from September to November, this plant produces white to rosy-purple flowers in terminal clusters with heads 7 to 10 millimeters long. Growing 1 to 1.5 meters tall with fleshy branches up to 1 centimeter in diameter, it has a distinctive milky sap and branches that are initially tomentose but become nearly glabrous. Its alternate leaves are bright green, 4 to 6 centimeters long, oblong-obovate with irregularly wavy-toothed edges and rounded tips, and are crowded or tufted at branch tips. The fruit is 3 to 3.5 millimeters long with five faces, each bearing narrow, shallow grooves.

Habitat: Rocky canyon walls

Bloom period: Sep-Nov

Elevation: +- 200 m.

Bioregions: s ChI (San Clemente Island).

California counties: Los Angeles, Marin, Alameda

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