Loeseliastrum depressum
Depressed standing-cypress, Depressed Standing-Cypress
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Loeseliastrum depressum (Depressed standing-cypress) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by differentiated by elevation, flower size, and leaf characteristics.
Depressed standing-cypress is a California native annual found in the northern Mojave Desert and eastern Sierra Nevada in sandy or clay soils of flats and gentle slopes at elevations of 1,000 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive yellow blotches at the base of the upper lip, measuring 5 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems, it reaches a low-spreading form characteristic of its desert habitats. Its leaves are narrowly elliptic, sometimes with subtle teeth along the edges, with acute to pointed tips. The small, delicate flowers feature a two-lipped corolla with an upper lip slightly longer than the stamens, creating a distinctive profile against the arid landscape.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; differentiated by elevation, flower size, and leaf characteristics
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy or clay soils of flats, gentle slopes
Elevation: 1000-2100 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Mono, Inyo
Outside California: to Utah
Bloom period
Loeseliastrum depressum blooms Apr-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Langloisia: Loeseliastrum flowers are bilateral/lopsided; Langloisia flowers are radially symmetric in all directions.; vs Eriastrum: Loeseliastrum has simple straight hairs and bilateral flowers; Eriastrum has woolly tufted hairs and radial flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Loeseliastrum depressum native to California?
Yes. Loeseliastrum depressum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Loeseliastrum depressum bloom?
Loeseliastrum depressum blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Loeseliastrum depressum grow?
Loeseliastrum depressum occurs in San Bernardino, Mono, Inyo, at elevations of 1000-2100 m.
What plant family does Loeseliastrum depressum belong to?
Loeseliastrum depressum is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Loeseliastrum.
Is Loeseliastrum depressum rare or endangered?
Loeseliastrum depressum carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.