Photo 133478442, no rights reserved, uploaded by Irene

Attribution By Irene
no rights reserved
Uploaded by aparrot1 aparrot1
Source iNaturalist
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Coast Dudleya (Dudleya caespitosa)

Observer

aparrot1

Date

June 1, 2021 01:49 PM PDT

Description

California has 49 recorded species of Dudleya, many of which are endemic to the state, and some of which are endemic to a only a single county. (I-Nat. California Dudleya Mapping Project)

Genus: Dudleya is characterized by fleshy and glabrous leaves which occur in basal rosettes, and in colors generally ranging from green to gray. The inflorescence are on vertical or inclined stems up to a meter high, but usually much shorter. Stems are topped by a cyme with alternate leaf-like bracts. Both the petals and sepals of the small flowers are 5 in number and fused below. 5 pistils, also fused below, have 10 stamens arranged around them.


Coast Dudleya (Dudleya caespitosa) Native, perennial, common Dudleya in the Stonecrop (Crassulaceae) family that grows on coastal rock and sandy soil. A.k.a. Sea Lettuce. There are usually several basal rosettes of leaves, up to 20 cm long. They are succulent, oblong to lanceolate or roundish, generally with acute tips. Stem are long with greater increased distance between internodes (compared to Bluff Lettuce, Dudleya farinosa). Flowers are a cluster of bright yellow flowers, the petals united for < 1/3 of their length, on curving red peduncles.Peak bloom time: June-August.

D.Styer lists 2 Dudleya species in Fort Ord: D. caespitosa and D. lanceolata.
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 99.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 140, 143.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=23643

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 341.

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/crassulaceae-dudleya/

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