Acanthomintha obovata

Obvate-leafed thorn mint

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Obvate-leafed thorn mint is a California native annual herb found in rocky or sandy areas at low to moderate elevations. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive purple-tipped lobes in spiny inflorescences up to 1.5 centimeters long. Growing with slender branched stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall, it has sparse short hairs and a delicate, open structure. Its leaves are small and distinctively shaped, with obovate blades 8 to 12 millimeters long, having entire margins near the base and progressively spiny edges toward the stem tips. The plant's shiny, straw-colored bracts with 7 to 11 marginal spines give it a unique and intricate appearance.

California counties: Ventura, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Plumas

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.