Acmispon procumbens
Silky California broom
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Acmispon procumbens (Silky California broom) is a native California subshrub in the Fabaceae family.
Silky California broom is a California native perennial found in rocky and open habitats throughout the state's coastal and inland regions. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow flowers with reddish wings, creating a delicate and distinctive bloom. Growing with stiff, much-branched stems 10 to 100 centimeters tall and often appearing grayish, it forms a compact and intricate shrub-like structure. Its leaves are composed of three oblanceolate to obovate leaflets, each 4 to 12 millimeters long, arranged on a flattened leaf axis. The fruit is a curved, pendulous pod 10 to 15 millimeters long, typically becoming straighter with age.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated from all other species in genus
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Inyo, San Bernardino, Monterey, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Tulare, Ventura
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 procumbens native to California?
Yes. Acmispon procumbens is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Acmispon procumbens grow?
Acmispon procumbens occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, Inyo, San Bernardino, Monterey, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Benito and other counties.
What plant family does Acmispon procumbens belong to?
Acmispon procumbens is in the Fabaceae family, genus Acmispon.
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.