Modoc Eryngo (Eryngium alismifolium)
Description
The leaves are stiff, long and narrow with a sharp tip, 15-100 cm (0-5 ft) long but only 1-3 cm (0.39-1.18 in) broad. They are bluish-green, and covered in a waxy coating. On the edges are regularly spaced bristles or spines. The root system consists of a central taproot surrounded by thick fleshy fibrous roots. The flower clusters are produced in July and August at the end of branching stalks 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall, 10-40 clusters per stalk.Each flower is small, 3-4 mm in diameter, and has greenish-white or bluish-white petals and a faint honey-like scent. The flowers are grouped in dense ball-shaped clusters (condensed umbels) 1-3 cm (0.5-1 in) in diameter that resemble flowerheads. Underneath each flower is a spiny green bract, and underneath each flower cluster is a small star-like rosette of spiny bracts. After the flowerbuds open, the pollen matures and is released two to three days before the stigmas become receptive.This encourages cross-pollination by making it unlikely that a given flower's pollen will fertilize the stigma of the same flower. Rattlesnake master has unusually high seed set (close to 90%).
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Apiales
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Family: Apiaceae
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Genus: Eryngium
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