Acmispon argyraeus var. argyraeus

Canyon lotus

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Canyon lotus is a California native perennial found in the San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and Desert Mountains on open granitic slopes and pine woodland at elevations of 1,500 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small white to yellow flowers about 7 to 10 millimeters long. Growing with prostrate, mat-forming stems that spread across rocky ground, it forms dense low-growing clusters. Its silvery-gray leaves are composed of soft, canescent leaflets with distinctive obovate shapes that feel velvety to the touch. The fruit is a slender pod 1.5 to 2 centimeters long, typically growing straight and close to the ground.

Habitat: Open granitic slopes or with pine

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 1500-2400 m

Bioregions: SnBr, SnJt, DMtns

California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside

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