Gambelia is a small genus of flowering shrubs in the family Plantaginaceae (the plantain family), placed in the tribe Antirrhineae alongside true snapdragons. Commonly called bush snapdragons, these plants are native to the arid coasts and islands of northwestern Mexico and adjacent California — principally the Baja California Peninsula, the coast of Sonora, Guadalupe Island, and the Channel Islands of California. The genus was described by Thomas Nuttall in 1847.
Two species are most widely recognised: Gambelia speciosa, a showy ornamental shrub with tubular scarlet flowers attractive to hummingbirds, and Gambelia juncea, a rush-like, nearly leafless shrub adapted to dry, rocky habitats. Two further species — G. glabrata and G. rupicola, both originally described from the Cape region of Baja California Sur — are accepted by some authorities but treated by others as variants of the polymorphic G. juncea.
The genus was formerly submerged within the South American genus Galvezia, but genetic and morphological analyses demonstrated that the North American species form a distinct lineage, supporting their recognition as a separate genus. The name honours William Gambel (1823–1849), an American naturalist and ornithologist who collected widely in western North America.
Etymology
The genus name Gambelia honours William Gambel (1823–1849), an American naturalist, ornithologist, and botanist known for his collections from western North America. Several other species bear his name, including Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii).
Distribution
Gambelia is native to northwestern Mexico — principally the Baja California Peninsula and the coast of Sonora — and extends into United States territory on Guadalupe Island and the Channel Islands of California. The genus is associated with dry coastal scrub and rocky slopes in a Mediterranean to semi-arid climate.
Taxonomy Notes
Gambelia was described by Thomas Nuttall in 1847 (J. Acad. Philad. N. S. 1: 149) and placed in the tribe Antirrhineae of Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae). It was subsequently lumped into the South American genus Galvezia, but molecular and morphological studies reinstated it as a distinct genus. The genus contains 2–4 species depending on authority; Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts four, while other treatments subsume G. glabrata and G. rupicola within the variable G. juncea.
