Camissoniopsis micrantha

Spencer primrose

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Spencer primrose is a California native annual found on the western edge of the Great Valley, Central West, and Southwest bioregions in coastal dunes, sandy fields, beaches, and canyons at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pale yellow to white flowers with small basal spots, typically 1.5 to 4.5 millimeters long. Growing with decumbent or erect stems up to 60 centimeters tall, it branches freely and develops a rosetted habit with dense spreading hairs. Its narrow leaves, generally 10 to 120 millimeters long, are lance-shaped with minute serrations and grow nearly sessile along the stem. The distinctive fruit is a slender cylindrical pod 13 to 25 millimeters long that dries with slightly angular edges.

Habitat: Canyons, coastal dunes, beaches, sandy fields, washes

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 300(800) m

Bioregions: w edge GV, CW, SW.

California counties: Mendocino, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin, San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Lake, Kern, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Orange, Santa Clara, Plumas

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