Pseudorontium cyathiferum

Deep canyon snapdragon, Deep Canyon Snapdragon

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Deep canyon snapdragon is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native annual found in western Colorado Desert section in Deep Canyon, Riverside County, in washes and rocky slopes at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from January to April, this plant produces cream and purple flowers 8 to 9 millimeters long with distinctive purple veining and a swollen lower lip. Growing with erect, self-supporting stems 1 to 70 centimeters tall that are coarsely branched throughout, it develops a glandular-sticky-hairy appearance. Its leaves are mostly alternate, gradually reducing in size up the stem, with ovate blades 2.5 to 40 millimeters long and pinnate venation. The fruit is nearly spherical, spreading or pendant at maturity, with chambers that open by irregular bursting near the tip.

Habitat: Washes, rocky slopes

Bloom period: Jan-Apr

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: w DSon (Deep Canyon, Riverside Co.)

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