Acmispon parviflorus
Hill lotus
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Acmispon parviflorus (Hill lotus) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by solitary pink flowers and broad range.
Hill lotus is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Sacramento Valley, central western California, southern coastal California, northern Channel Islands, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in coastal bluffs to oak and pine woodland at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pink to salmon-colored flowers 4 to 6 millimeters long that quickly fade. Growing with ascending to erect stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, it has a delicate, sparsely hairy structure. Its leaves are irregularly pinnate with 3 to 5 elliptic to obovate leaflets 4 to 12 millimeters long, arranged along a sometimes flattened leaf axis. The fruit is an erect, oblong pod 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long with slightly wavy margins and a small curved beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 42 sympatric species; distinguished by solitary pink flowers and broad range
Habitat and range
Habitat: Abundant. Coastal bluffs to oak/pine or fir woodland, open or disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1300 m
California counties: Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Amador, Marin, Butte, Tehama, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Sierra, Calaveras, Mendocino, Nevada, Los Angeles, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Madera, Plumas, Alameda, Sacramento, Ventura, San Diego, Placer, San Francisco, Riverside, El Dorado, Santa Clara, Napa, Yuba, Solano, Stanislaus, Sonoma, Lake, Santa Cruz, Tuolumne, Fresno, Imperial
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Acmispon parviflorus blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Lotus: Same genus - Lotus is an older name for Acmispon, now considered synonymous.; vs Ottleya: Acmispon has yellow pea-shaped flowers in umbels; Ottleya (a buckwheat relative) has tiny white/pink flowers without pea shape.; vs Eriogonum: Acmispon has compound leaves with 3 leaflets; buckwheats (Eriogonum) have simple leaves.; vs Genista: Acmispon leaves are compound with 3 leaflets; Genista (broom) has simple or very small trifoliate leaves on ridged green stems.; vs Hosackia: Acmispon has tiny gland-like stipules; Hosackia has conspicuous papery or leaf-like stipules at leaf bases.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acmispon parviflorus native to California?
Yes. Acmispon parviflorus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Acmispon parviflorus bloom?
Acmispon parviflorus blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Acmispon parviflorus grow?
Acmispon parviflorus occurs in Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Amador, Marin, Butte, Tehama, Shasta and other counties, at elevations of < 1300 m.
What plant family does Acmispon parviflorus belong to?
Acmispon parviflorus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Acmispon.
What habitat does Acmispon parviflorus grow in?
Acmispon parviflorus grows in Abundant. Coastal bluffs to oak/pine or fir woodland, open or disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.