Nama dichotoma var. dichotoma

Forked purple mat, Forked Purple Mat

Family: Namaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Forked purple mat is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the eastern Desert Mountains, specifically the New York Mountains, on granite or limestone slopes and ridges at elevations of 1,900 to 2,200 meters. Flowering in October, this plant produces white to light blue flowers in small, delicate clusters with cylindric to bell-shaped corollas. Growing with short erect stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, the plant is generally simple or forked and covered in short glandular and nonglandular hairs. Its leaves are sessile, ranging from 6 to 20 millimeters long, with a distinctive linear to spoon-shaped form. The tiny fruits measure 2 to 6 millimeters long, containing small brown seeds with cross-ridged surfaces.

Habitat: Granite or limestone slopes, ridges

Bloom period: Oct

Elevation: 1900-2200 m

Bioregions: e DMtns (New York Mtns)

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