Three New Subspecies of Monardella (Lamiaceae) from Southern California, USA

Continuing work on the flora of California after the publication of The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California has led to the discovery of three new Monardella Benth. (Lamiaceae) subspecies: M. australis Abrams subsp. gabrielensis Elvin & A. C. Sanders, M. australis subsp. occidentalis Elvin, R. A. Burgess & A. C. Sanders, and M. sinuata Elvin & A. C. Sanders subsp. gerryi Elvin, A. C. Sanders & R. A. Burgess. Monardella australis subsp. gabrielensis occurs in the central and western San Gabriel Mountains of the Transverse Ranges, and M. australis subsp. occidentalis occurs on Pine Mountain Ridge in the Western Transverse Ranges and the San Rafael Mountains of the adjacent southern portion of the South Coast Ranges. The two new subspecies of M. australis are most similar to the autonymic subspecies, but both differ in their bract and leaf morphology, pubescence on the stems and calyces, stature, and distribution. Monardella sinuata subsp. gerryi occurs in the Las Posas and Camarillo Hills in the coastal plain of Ventura County in the South Coast Region. The new subspecies is most similar to M. sinuata subsp. sinuata but differs in its stem, leaf, bract, and glomerule size and in its pubescence, nutlets, and ecological setting. Monardella neglecta Greene is transferred to a new rank as a subspecies of M. purpurea Howell, as M. purpurea subsp. neglecta (Greene) Elvin & A. C. Sanders. It is a diminutive, glabrous, serpentine endemic on the Marin and Tiburon peninsulas in northern California. A taxonomic assessment of names within the M. villosa Benth. complex results in the synonymy of M. franciscana Elmer to M. villosa subsp. villosa. Monardella villosa subsp. subserrata (Greene) Epling is recognized as the upland and interior taxon in this species. A lectotype is designated for M. purpurea Howell and recognized for both M. franciscana Elmer and M. neglecta Greene.