Herbs subacaulescent to shortly caulescent, to 26 cm, mostly glandular (with obvious blond to dark brown glands) and pubescent throughout. Stems short-erect, branched sparsely proximally and often with decumbent lateral branches, to 26 cm at maturity, these with terminal cluster of leaves and inflorescences, very rarely branched again, leaves dispersed along short main stem or appearing clustered at base; pseudoscapes to 4 cm; cataphylls 0.5–7 mm, glabrous. Leaves palmately 5–7-foliolate; stipules tardily deciduous or persistent, lanceolate to slightly falcate, 7–10 × 2.5–3 mm, stramineous, appressed-spreading pubescent; petiole slightly enlarged and jointed basally, (20–)40–100(–110) mm, sparsely glandular abaxially, appressed-spreading pubescent; petiolules 1.5–2.5 mm; leaflet blades obovate to slightly rhombic, 1.3–3 × 1–1.7 cm, base attenuate, apex broadly acute to rounded or retuse, surfaces glandular and appressed-pubescent. Peduncles (1.5–)2.5–6.5 cm, shorter than subtending petiole, appressed-spreading pubescent. Inflorescences disjointing in age at peduncle base, globose to slightly elongate; rachis 0.7–2.5 cm, fairly crowded, nodes (2–)4–10, (1 or)2 or 3 flowers per node, internodes to 9 mm; bracts tardily deciduous or persistent, oblanceolate to elliptic, 6.5–8 × 2–4 mm, appressed-spreading pubescent. Pedicels 3–5(–7) mm. Flowers 8–12 mm; calyx gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 9.5–10.5 mm abaxially, 8.5–10 mm adaxially, glandular, white-villous; tube 2–3 mm; abaxial lobe elliptic to oblanceolate, 6.5–8.5 × 1.5–2 mm, adaxial lobe linear to linear-lanceolate, 6.5–7.5 × 1–1.5 mm; corolla blue to violet, banner usually white or lighter than other petals, oblanceolate, 10–11 × 6 mm with claw 2.5–3 mm, wings 9.5–10.5 × 2–2.5 mm with claw 2.5–3.5 mm, keel 7–8 × 2–3 mm with claw 3–4 mm; filaments 6.5–7 mm; anthers elliptic, 0.3 mm; ovary pubescent apically, style pubescent basally. Legumes ellipsoid to ovoid, 4–9 × 3.5–5 mm, eglandular, short-pubescent, beak linear, 1–4 mm, not exserted beyond calyx. Seed red-brown to brown, black-mottled, nar­rowly reniform, 5–5.5 × 3–3.5 mm. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Rocky soils, chaparral, pine, juniper, or oak woodland openings.
Elevation: 500–2500 m.

Distribution

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Calif., Mexico (Baja California).

Discussion

Pediomelum californicum is morphologically similar to P. mephiticum, and some have chosen to combine them into a single species (A. M. Vail 1894), suggesting that P. californicum is simply a disjunct P. mephiticum. Others have relied on the distinct geographic separation and difference in caulescent versus acaulescent habit as distinguishing characters (J. W. Grimes 1990; S. L. Welsh et al. 1993).

Pediomelum californicum is found from Tehama County southward to San Diego County and northern Mexico.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.