San Antonio Hills monardella facts for kids

The San Antonio Hills monardella (scientific name: Monardella antonina) is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the mint family, just like the mint you might use for chewing gum or tea! This plant is quite rare. You can only find it in California, in specific parts of the Central Coast Ranges. It has two slightly different types, called subspecies, that grow in these areas.

Where the San Antonio Hills Monardella Grows

This plant, Monardella antonina, grows only in California. It is endemic to California, which means it naturally lives nowhere else in the world!

Different Types and Their Locations

There are two main types, or subspecies, of this plant:

• ssp. antonina: This type is mostly found in Monterey County. It likes to grow in areas called chaparral, which are dry places with shrubs and small trees. It also grows on wooded hillsides.
• ssp. benitensis: This type is much rarer. It's called the San Benito monardella. It mostly grows in San Benito County. This subspecies is special because it only grows in serpentine soils. Serpentine soils are a unique type of soil found in California. They have a lot of certain minerals and not much of others, which makes it hard for many plants to grow there. You can find this rare type near the old ghost town of New Idria.

What the San Antonio Hills Monardella Looks Like

The San Antonio Hills monardella is a plant that comes back year after year. It's called a perennial herb. It has a pale green color and is covered in soft, whitish hairs. It also feels a bit sticky because it's glandular, meaning it has tiny glands that produce oils.

Roots and Leaves

This plant has special roots called rhizomes. These are underground stems that can spread out and grow new plants, like ginger or some grasses. Its leaves grow in pairs directly opposite each other on the stem. They are shaped like ovals and often have small teeth along their edges.

Flowers and How They Grow

The flowers of the monardella grow in a cluster called an inflorescence, which looks like a small head. This flower head can be up to 1.5 centimeters (about half an inch) wide. At the bottom of the flower head, there are special leaf-like parts called bracts. Each flower is a pretty lavender color. It has two long parts that stick up and three shorter parts that point down. In the middle of the flower, you can see four long parts sticking out. These are called stamens, and they hold the pollen.