Ambrosia pumila

San diego ambrosia, San Diego Ambrosia, San Diego ambrosia, San Diego ambrosia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

San diego ambrosia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in southern coastal California and the Peninsular Ranges in Riverside and San Diego counties, growing in disturbed sites at elevations of 50 to 600 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale flower heads in small clusters 3 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Growing 10 to 35 centimeters tall with colonial roots and erect, few-branched stems densely covered in short hairs, it spreads through rhizome-like underground roots. Its leaves are 3 to 13 centimeters long, lanceolate to widely ovate, with complex pinnately divided lobes that are densely covered in grayish-white hairs. The plant produces small bur-like fruits 2 to 2.5 millimeters long, occasionally bearing 1 to 5 vestigial spines.

Habitat: Disturbed sites

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 50-600 m

Bioregions: s SCo, PR (Riverside, San Diego cos.)

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