Sibaropsis
Encyclopedia
Sibaropsis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the mustard family
containing the single species Sibaropsis hammittii, which is known by the common name Hammitt's clay-cress. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from two locations in the Peninsular Ranges
. The plant is known from the Santa Ana Mountains
of Riverside County
and Viejas Mountain
and nearby peaks east of San Diego
. It grows in grassy habitat in openings in chaparral
alongside purple needlegrass
(Nassella pulchra), generally in moist areas in heavy clay
soils. This species and its genus were first described to science in 1997.
This is an annual herb producing a waxy, hairless or slightly hairy stem up to about 20 centimeters tall. The leaves are linear in shape, measuring up to 4.5 centimeters long and about a millimeter wide. The inflorescence
produces mustardlike flowers with four spoon-shaped, dark-veined, purple-pink petals each about a centimeter long. The fruit is a long, narrow, flat silique
measuring 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long and under a millimeter wide. This fruit contains up to 44 minute seeds.
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
containing the single species Sibaropsis hammittii, which is known by the common name Hammitt's clay-cress. 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 from two locations in the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
. The plant is known from the Santa Ana Mountains
Santa Ana Mountains
The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 36 mi southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.- Geography :The range starts in the...
of Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
and Viejas Mountain
Viejas Mountain
Viejas Mountain is a mountain in San Diego County in the US state of California, elevation . The mountain can be seen from parts of metropolitan San Diego....
and nearby peaks east of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. It grows in grassy habitat in openings in 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...
alongside purple needlegrass
Nassella pulchra
Nassella pulchra is a species of grass known by the common name purple needlegrass. It is native to California, where it occurs throughout the coastal hills, valleys, and mountain ranges, as well as the Sacramento Valley and parts of the Sierra Nevada foothills, and Baja California.It grows in many...
(Nassella pulchra), generally in moist areas in heavy clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
soils. This species and its genus were first described to science in 1997.
This is an annual herb producing a waxy, hairless or slightly hairy stem up to about 20 centimeters tall. The leaves are linear in shape, measuring up to 4.5 centimeters long and about a millimeter wide. 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...
produces mustardlike flowers with four spoon-shaped, dark-veined, purple-pink petals each about a centimeter long. The fruit is a long, narrow, flat silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...
measuring 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long and under a millimeter wide. This fruit contains up to 44 minute seeds.