Petalonyx linearis
Encyclopedia
Petalonyx linearis is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae
known by the common name narrowleaf sandpaper plant. It is native to the deserts of eastern California
, western Arizona
and northwestern Mexico, where it grows in scrub and other habitat. It is a rounded clumpy subshrub
made up of many rough-haired, erect stems up to a meter tall.
The cylindrical stems are lined evenly with linear to widely lance-shaped leaves 1 to 2.5 centimeters long. The inflorescence
at the end of each stem is a raceme
of many small five-petalled white flowers surrounded by rounded or oval bract
s with pointed, lobed, or notched tips.
Loasaceae
The Loasaceae is a family of 15-20 genera and about 200-260 species of flowering plants in the order Cornales, native to the Americas and Africa. The family comprises annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous plants, and a few shrubs and small trees.Genera...
known by the common name narrowleaf sandpaper plant. It is native to the deserts of eastern 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...
, western Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and northwestern Mexico, where it grows in scrub and other habitat. It is a rounded clumpy subshrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
made up of many rough-haired, erect stems up to a meter tall.
The cylindrical stems are lined evenly with linear to widely lance-shaped leaves 1 to 2.5 centimeters long. 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...
at the end of each stem is a raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of many small five-petalled white flowers surrounded by rounded or oval bract
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...
s with pointed, lobed, or notched tips.