Lepechinia rossii

Ross' pitcher sage

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Ross' pitcher sage is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the western Transverse Ranges, specifically in the Liebre and Topatopa Mountains, within chaparral habitats at elevations of 470 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces flowers with muted coloration in axillary clusters with distinctively bent inflorescence axes. Growing with scattered long, branched hairs and dense glandular stems, it develops an erect form with variable height. Its leaves are broadly ovate to deltate-ovate, 3 to 13 centimeters long, with irregularly serrated edges and bases ranging from truncate to heart-shaped. The plant produces glabrous fruits with bell-shaped calyces featuring lobes shorter than the tube and occasional marginal teeth.

Habitat: Chaparral

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 470-1200 m

Bioregions: WTR (Liebre, Topatopa mtns).

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