Madia radiata
Encyclopedia
Madia radiata is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common names golden madia and showy madia. It is endemic to California
, where it is known mostly from the Central Coast Ranges and adjacent edges of the San Francisco Bay Area
and Central Valley.
produces flower heads
lined with hairy, gland-studded phyllaries
. The head has golden yellow ray florets up to almost 2 centimeters long and a center filled with many disc florets. The fruit is a black achene
a few millimeters long with no pappus
.
.
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 names golden madia and showy madia. It is endemic to California
California
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 known mostly from the Central Coast Ranges and adjacent edges of 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 Central Valley.
Description
Madia radiata is an annual herb growing upright 10 to 90 centimeters tall, the stem often branching and coated in bulbous resin glands. The bristly, glandular leaves are up to 10 centimeters long, often wider at the top of the plant than below. 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 flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
lined with hairy, gland-studded phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. The head has golden yellow ray florets up to almost 2 centimeters long and a center filled with many disc florets. The fruit is a black 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 with no pappus
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
The Madia radiata current distribution and status is uncertain; most of the known occurrences were observed decades ago and have not been confirmed since, and many have likely been extirpatedLocal extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
.