Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum

Arizona pholistoma, Arizona Pholistoma

Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Arizona pholistoma is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native annual found in the southern desert regions in desert scrub at elevations of 300 to 700 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small white to pale blue flowers less than 10 millimeters wide. Growing with delicate stems, it reaches heights of 10 to 30 centimeters with a slender, branching habit. Its leaves feature 5 to 11 distinctive rounded lobes, giving the foliage a deeply divided, intricate appearance. The small flowers and finely dissected leaves make this desert annual a subtle but intricate botanical gem.

Habitat: Desert scrub

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: 300-700 m

Bioregions: DSon

California counties: San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego

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