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Smoothleaf yerba santa is a 1-1/2' to 6' tall
aromatic evergreen perennial shrub that grows from a ± woody
base. The leaves are alternate, from 2" to 6" long and
1/2" to 1-1/2" wide, linear lanceolate to narrowly oblong,
entire-margined to slightly toothed, glabrous and shiny-glutinous above
and finely tomentose below. They look as though covered with a
coating of clear varnish. The flowers are in cymose clusters with
linear to lanceolate, mostly densely hirsute and ciliate calyx lobes,
and white to pale purplish or lavender funnelform corollas with rounded
lobes about 1/16" long. The stamens are included and there
are two styles divided to base. The fruit is a densely hispid
capsule with dark brown seeds. This species of Eriodictyon
is found growing on dry rocky slopes, mesas and ravines below 8000'
from chaparral to yellow pine forest and in pinyon-juniper and joshua
tree woodland, ranging from Ventura County south through the San Gabriel
and San Bernardino Mts. It blooms from May to August. These pictures
were taken in the floodplain of the San Gabriel River at the Santa Fe
Dam Recreation Area.
Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Eriodictyon
2) trichocalyx.
Pronunciation: er-ee-oh-DIK-tee-on try-ko-KAY-lix.
Click here for Botanical
Term Meanings.
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