Ditaxis lanceolata

Lance leaved ditaxis

Family: Euphorbiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Lance leaved ditaxis is a California native shrub found in the Mojave Desert near Eagle Mountain and the Sonoran Desert in rocky soils, slopes, and canyons at elevations below 600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces small flowers with pale petals approximately 3 to 3.5 millimeters long. Growing with generally erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall that are brittle and covered in appressed hairs, it forms a distinctive subshrub structure. Its lanceolate leaves are 2 to 6 centimeters long, densely hairy, with tiny stipules near the base and entire margins. The plant produces small fruits 3 to 5 millimeters long containing angled, pitted seeds about 2 to 2.5 millimeters in size.

Habitat: Rocky soils, slopes, canyons

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 600 m

Bioregions: DMoj (Eagle Mtn), DSon

California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial

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