Monardella

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
Monardella hypoleuca ssp. lanata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Tribe: Mentheae
Genus: Monardella
L.
Species

See text.

Synonyms[1]

Monardella is a taxonomic patronym honoring the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes.[2] Plants in this genus are commonly known as wildmints, coyote mints or monardellas.

Systematics

The genus comprises the following species.[1]

  • 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 candicans Benth. - San Joaquín Valley of California
  • Monardella douglasii Benth. - San Francisco Bay area of California
  • Monardella eplingii Elvin et al.[6] - 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 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 palmeri A.Gray - Santa Lucia Mountains of west-central California
  • †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 thymifolia Greene - Cedros Island in Baja California
  • Monardella undulata Benth. - coastal central California
  • Monardella venosa (Torr.) A.C.Sanders & Elvin - central California
  • Monardella villosa Benth. - (common) coyote mint - Oregon, 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)

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.[7][8]

Notes
  1. Madronella is a taxonomic anagram of Monardella.[2]

References
  1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. 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.
  3. Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
  4. Elvin, M.A. & Sanders, A.C. (2009). Nomenclatural changes for Monardella (Lamiaceae) in California. Novon 19: 315-343.
  5. Jepson Manual Treatment
  6. Elvin, M. A., et al. (2013). Monardella eplingii, a new species from the Black Mountains of northwestern Arizona, USA. Madroño 60(1) 46-54.
  7. Jepson Manual Treatment: M. leucocephala
  8. Jepson Manual Treatment: M. pringlei
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