Camissonia kernensis subsp. kernensis

Kern county evening-primrose, Kern County Evening-Primrose

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Kern county evening-primrose is a California native annual herb found in southeastern Sierra Nevada and western Mojave Desert regions, specifically in Piute, El Paso Mountains, Grapevine Canyon, and Kern County in sandy sagebrush scrub and Joshua-tree woodland at elevations of 850 to 1,800 meters. Flowering in May, this plant produces small yellow flowers with delicate petals in compact clusters. Growing with dense, spreading hairs and compact stems 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms a tidy low-growing structure. Its leaves are clustered at the base of the plant, creating a rosette-like arrangement. The fruit develops on slender pedicels 3 to 15 millimeters long, adding to its distinctive appearance.

Habitat: Sandy slopes, flats, generally in sagebrush scrub or Joshua-tree woodland

Bloom period: May

Elevation: 850-1800 m

Bioregions: se SNH, w DMoj (Piute, El Paso mtns, Grapevine Canyon, Kern Co.).

California counties: Kern, San Bernardino

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