Diplacus vandenbergensis

Vandenberg monkeyflower

Family: Phrymaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Vandenberg monkeyflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in southern Santa Barbara County in open, sandy sites among shrubs at elevations of 75 to 120 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces yellow flowers with distinctive red-brown spots near the flower mouth, blooming individually at each node. Growing with delicate stems 1 to 20 centimeters tall, it has a compact, low-growing habit among coastal shrublands. Its leaves range from 2 to 30 millimeters long, generally narrowly elliptic to obovate, with lower leaves smooth and upper leaves slightly hairy. The flowers feature a tube-throat 9 to 23 millimeters long with yellow folds and a calyx that is widely ribbed and often tinged with reddish coloration.

Habitat: Open, sandy sites among shrubs

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 75-120 m

Bioregions: s SCoRO (sw Santa Barbara Co.).

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