Harmonia nutans
Encyclopedia
Harmonia nutans is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name nodding madia.
produces one or more flower heads
which bend and nod as they bloom and especially as the fruit develops. The head has yellow ray florets several millimeters long, lobed at the tips and sometimes red-tinged near the bases, and yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene
a few millimeters long; those developing from the disc florets are tipped with pappi
.
, where it is limited to the Coast Ranges in the San Francisco Bay Area
and slopes to the north. It grows in common mountain habitat such as chaparral
and woodland, often on volcanic soils.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name nodding madia.
Description
Harmonia nutans - Madia nutans is an annual herb producing a bristly, glandular stem up to about 25 centimeters tall. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
produces one or more flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
which bend and nod as they bloom and especially as the fruit develops. The head has yellow ray florets several millimeters long, lobed at the tips and sometimes red-tinged near the bases, and yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
a few millimeters long; those developing from the disc florets are tipped with pappi
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
.
Distribution
Harmonia nutans is endemic to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is limited to the Coast Ranges in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and slopes to the north. It grows in common mountain habitat such as chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and woodland, often on volcanic soils.