Acmispon decumbens var. davidsonii

Davidson's sierra nevada lotus

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Davidson's sierra nevada lotus is a California native perennial found in the Transverse Ranges and northeastern Peninsular Ranges in open places and oak and pine forests at elevations of 1,200 to 2,750 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow flowers with a distinctive dark-drying banner that abruptly curves upward at a 90-degree angle. Growing with delicate stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms low, spreading clumps in mountain habitats. Its leaves have a short axis typically 2 to 5 millimeters long, with small leaflets arranged along slender stems. The plant typically bears compact clusters of 3 to 5 flowers, with calyxes measuring 6 to 7 millimeters long.

Habitat: Open places, oak and pine forests

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 1200-2750 m

Bioregions: TR, ne PR.

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Diego

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