Monardella is a genus of approximately 40 species of annual and perennial plants native to western North America from British Columbia to northwestern Mexico.[1][3][4] They are grown for their highly aromatic foliage, which in some species is used for herbal teas. The two-lipped, tubular flowers are formed in terminal clusters and are most usually red, pink, or purple.[5]
Monardella is a Latin diminutive form of Monarda (a taxonomic patronym honoring the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes), which the form of the flower heads resembles. [2] Plants in this genus are commonly known as wildmints, coyote mints or monardellas.
Species
As of February 2024, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[6]
- Monardella angustifolia Elvin, Ertter & Mansfield
- Monardella arizonica Epling – Arizona
- Monardella australis Abrams – southern California
- Monardella beneolens Shevock, Ertter & Jokerst – southern California
- Monardella boydii A.C.Sanders & Elvin – southern California
- Monardella breweri A.Gray – California, Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
- Monardella breweri subsp. lanceolata (A.Gray) A.C.Sanders & Elvin, syn. Monardella lanceolata A.Gray[7] – California
- Monardella candicans Benth. – San Joaquín Valley of California
- Monardella douglasii Benth. – San Francisco Bay area of California
- Monardella eplingii Elvin et al.[8] – Arizona
- Monardella eremicola A.C.Sanders & Elvin – southern California
- Monardella exilis (A.Gray) Greene – southern California, Arizona
- Monardella follettii (Jeps.) Jokerst – northern Sierra Nevada in California
- Monardella hypoleuca A.Gray – southern California, Baja California
- Monardella kruckebergii Elvin, R.B.Kelley & B.T.Drew
- Monardella lagunensis M.E.Jones – Baja California Sur
- †Monardella leucocephala A.Gray – Merced & Stanislaus counties in California but believed to be extinct
- Monardella linoides A.Gray – California, Arizona, Nevada, Baja California
- Monardella macrantha A.Gray – California, Baja California
- Monardella mojavensis Elvin & A.C.Sanders – Mohave Desert of southeastern California & southern Nevada
- Monardella nana A.Gray – California, Baja California
- Monardella odoratissima Benth. – mountain wildmint, mountain coyote mint or mountain pennyroyal – much of western North America from British Columbia south to southern California & New Mexico
- Monardella odoratissima subsp. villosa (Benth.) Brunell, syns Monardella antonina Hardham, Monardella villosa Benth.[9] – (common) coyote mint – California
- Monardella palmeri A.Gray – Santa Lucia Mountains of west-central California
- Monardella perplexans Elvin, R.B.Kelley & B.T.Drew
- †Monardella pringlei A.Gray – Mohave Desert of southeastern California but believed to be extinct
- Monardella purpurea Howell – Oregon, California
- Monardella robisonii Epling ex Munz – Mohave Desert of southeastern California
- Monardella saxicola I.M.Johnst. – southeastern California
- Monardella sheltonii Torr. ex Durand – Oregon, California
- Monardella sinuata Elvin & A.C.Sanders – coastal central California
- Monardella siskiyouensis Hardham – northern California
- Monardella stebbinsii Hardham & Bartel – Plumas County in northern California
- Monardella stoneana Elvin & A.C.Sanders – San Diego County in California, Baja California
- Monardella × subglabra (Hoover) Hardham – California (M. purpurea × M. villosa)
- Monardella subserrata Greene
- Monardella thymifolia Greene – Cedros Island in Baja California
- Monardella undulata Benth. – coastal central California
- Monardella venosa (Torr.) A.C.Sanders & Elvin – central California
- Monardella viminea Greene – San Diego County in southern California
- Monardella viridis Jeps. – northern San Francisco Bay area of California (Sonoma, Napa, Solano, & Lake Counties)
- Monardella walwaamaxsia Elvin, R.B.Kelley & B.T.Drew
Horticulture and ecology
Most like a sunny, sharply drained site and can be attractive in a rock garden or pot in the alpine house if smaller species are selected. The taller ones can be used at the front of a dry sunny border. They have reasonable frost resistance, but resent dampness in winter. Propagate from seed or summer cuttings of perennial species, or by division of clumps.
Monardella is a nectar plant for many Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), including the endangered Myrtle’s silverspot (Speyeria zerene myrtleae).
Several species are rare California endemics; two, the Merced monardella (M. leucocephala) and Pringle’s monardella (M. pringlei), have not been seen in many decades and are presumed extinct.[10][11]
Notes
- ^ Madronella is a taxonomic anagram of Monardella.[2]
References
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ a b Burkhardt, Lotte (2018-06-06). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen – Erweiterte Edition. Index of Eponymic Plant Names – Extended Edition. Index de Noms éponymiques des Plantes – Édition augmentée (in German). Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin. p. M64. doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5. S2CID 187926901.
- ^ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
- ^ Elvin, M.A. & Sanders, A.C. (2009). Nomenclatural changes for Monardella (Lamiaceae) in California. Novon 19: 315-343.
- ^ Jepson Manual Treatment
- ^ “Monardella Benth.” Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ “Monardella breweri subsp. lanceolata (A.Gray) A.C.Sanders & Elvin”. Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Elvin, M. A., et al. (2013). Monardella eplingii, a new species from the Black Mountains of northwestern Arizona, USA. Madroño 60(1) 46-54.
- ^ “Monardella odoratissima subsp. villosa (Benth.) Brunell”. Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Jepson Manual Treatment: M. leucocephala
- ^ Jepson Manual Treatment: M. pringlei