Acmispon argophyllus var. argophyllus
Southern California silver lotus
Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Southern California silver lotus is a California native perennial found in central and southern California mountain ranges, including Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina, San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and Peninsular Ranges in dry chaparral slopes and canyons at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces small yellow flowers in compact clusters about 1 centimeter wide. Growing with prostrate or gently ascending stems that are softly silvery-hairy, it spreads low across the landscape with a delicate, ground-hugging form. Its leaves are loosely arranged and covered in silky, silvery hairs that give the entire plant a distinctive shimmering appearance. The plant forms slender stems with small, delicate flowers that blend seamlessly into its dry, rocky habitat.
Habitat: dry slopes in chaparral, canyons
Bloom period: Apr-Jul
Elevation: < 1600 m
Bioregions: c&s SN, SCoR, SCo, SnGb, SnBr, PR.
California counties: Fresno, San Bernardino, San Diego, Kern, Mono, Tulare, Riverside, Los Angeles, Monterey, Imperial, Lake, Madera, Mariposa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Ventura
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.