Malacothrix junakii
Encyclopedia
Malacothrix junakii is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common names Anacapa Island desert-dandelion and Junak's malacothrix. It is endemic to Anacapa Island
, one of the Channel Islands of California
, where it is known from just two occurrences. It occurs in the coastal scrub of the island. It was described to science as a new species in 1997.
This is an annual herb with a branching, leafy stem up to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are lance-shaped with toothed or lobed blades, the upper leaves with fewer, narrower lobes. The inflorescence
contains several flower heads
in one or more open clusters. The head is lined with hairless red-tinged green phyllaries
. It contains yellow ray florets each roughly a centimeter long.
This rare species faces threats from introduced plant species
on the island.
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 Anacapa Island desert-dandelion and Junak's malacothrix. It is endemic to Anacapa Island
Anacapa Island
Anacapa Island is a small volcanic island located about off the coast of Port Hueneme, California, in Ventura County. The Island is composed of a series of narrow islets six miles long, running in a mostly east-west orientation, five miles east of Santa Cruz Island...
, one of the Channel Islands of California
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
, where it is known from just two occurrences. It occurs in the coastal scrub of the island. It was described to science as a new species in 1997.
This is an annual herb with a branching, leafy stem up to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are lance-shaped with toothed or lobed blades, the upper leaves with fewer, narrower lobes. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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...
contains several flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
in one or more open clusters. The head is lined with hairless red-tinged green 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...
. It contains yellow ray florets each roughly a centimeter long.
This rare species faces threats from introduced plant species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
on the island.