Camissonia pubens

Hairy sun cup

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Hairy sun cup is a California native annual found in the Great Basin and northern Mojave Desert in scattered sagebrush scrub and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces yellow flowers that fade to reddish with occasional basal spots, blooming in delicate clusters. Growing with slender, erect stems less than 38 centimeters tall and covered in glandular hairs, it has a distinctive spreading growth habit. Its leaves are narrowly lanceolate, 15 to 45 millimeters long with wavy, serrated edges that create a delicate textural appearance. The fruit develops 26 to 50 millimeters long, slightly swollen with seeds and presenting as either straight or gently wavy.

Habitat: Sandy soils, generally sagebrush scrub or pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1000-3000 m

Bioregions: GB, n DMoj (scattered)

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