Peganum harmala

African rue, syrian rue, Syrian Rue

Family: Nitrariaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

African rue is a naturalized perennial found in the northwestern San Bernardino and southeastern Kern county areas of the Mojave Desert, growing along roadsides, abandoned fields, and degraded rangeland at elevations of 60 to 730 meters. Flowering from April to November, this plant produces white to yellow flowers with petals less than 17 millimeters long in a cup-shaped disk arrangement. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems up to 90 centimeters tall that can root along the ground, the plant ranges from hairy to nearly smooth. Its leaves are variable, ranging from slightly hairy to completely glabrous, with a somewhat sprawling growth habit. The fruit is round, up to 15 millimeters in diameter, and smaller than the plant's sepals.

Habitat: Roadsides, abandoned fields, degraded rangeland

Bloom period: Apr-Nov

Elevation: 60-730 m

Bioregions: DMoj (nw San Bernardino, se Kern cos.)

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