Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa
Desert rabbitbrush, Desert Rabbitbrush
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa (Desert rabbitbrush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by leafless at flowering with curved thread-like leaves.
Desert rabbitbrush is a California native shrub found in the Mojave Desert in gravelly arroyos at elevations of 700 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces yellow flowers in dense clusters with involucres 7 to 8.5 millimeters long. Growing 60 to 150 centimeters tall with yellow-green, closely tomentose stems that become nearly leafless when flowering, it has a distinctive appearance. Its leaves are thread-like, curved, and only 0 to 3 centimeters long, giving the shrub a sparse, delicate texture. The plant's flower corollas are 6 to 7.5 millimeters long, with lobes that ascend or curve slightly backward.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species; leafless at flowering with curved thread-like leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly arroyos
Elevation: 700-1700 m
California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare, Los Angeles
Bloom period
Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa blooms Aug-Oct.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Isocoma: Ericameria has bracts in 5 vertical rows; Isocoma has randomly arranged bracts.; vs Chrysothamnus: Ericameria has woolly young stems and deep pitted glands; Chrysothamnus has smooth/slightly fuzzy stems and surface glands or none.; vs Baccharis: Ericameria has yellow bisexual flowers in each head; Baccharis has separate male/female plants with whitish flowers.; vs Artemisia: Ericameria has yellow flowers and gland-dotted leaves; Artemisia has greenish flowers and aromatic gray-hairy leaves.; vs Lepidospartum: Ericameria has small narrow leaves; Lepidospartum has scale-like leaves on green rush-like stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa native to California?
Yes. Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa bloom?
Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa blooms Aug-Oct.
Where in California does Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa grow?
Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa occurs in Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare, Los Angeles, at elevations of 700-1700 m.
What plant family does Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa belong to?
Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa is in the Asteraceae family, genus Ericameria.
Is Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa rare or endangered?
Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S2S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ericameria nauseosa var. hololeuca — White rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. leiosperma — Smooth-fruit rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. mohavensis — Mojave rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. oreophila — Great basin rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa — Showy rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. washoensis — Washoe rabbitbrush
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.