Bloomeria crocea

Bloomeria crocea
Bloomeria crocea near Pomona, California
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Brodiaeoideae
Genus: Bloomeria
Species: B. crocea
Binomial name
Bloomeria crocea
(Torr.) Coville
Bloomeria crocea, Santa Monica Mountains

Bloomeria crocea, also known as Goldenstar, is a geophyte from southern California and northern Baja California. It is found along hillsides, in grassland and chaparral edges, and in dry flats.

Description

The Bloomeria crocea corm has a fibrous exterior and usually produces only one leaf. Plants produce six-petaled golden flowers that are clustered in a loose umbel. When the three-lobed stigma is fertilized, Bloomeria produces capsules that contain small black seeds. The seeds then require three to four years to become a mature plant.

Distribution

Growing in full sun, Bloomeria crocea prefers porous soil and semi-dry conditions, in the Peninsular, Transverse, and southern California Coast Ranges, and on the Channel Islands. Its distribution is found along the southern coast from Santa Barbara County and western Kern County, through Southern California, down into Baja California.

Varieties

Two varieties are currently recognised:[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Bloomeria crocea (Torr.) Coville". The Plant List. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
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