Herbs not stoloniferous; caudex and root woody. Stems to 75 cm, sparsely branched, glandu­lar, puberulent to pubes­cent or, sometimes, glabrate; proximal 1–9 nodes usually naked and with cataphylls, light brown, 5–7 mm, striate, puberu­lent. Leaves: stipules tardily deciduous, light to dark brown, triangular or lanceolate to linear-spatulate, 4–10 × 0.5–2 mm, venation few; petiole 1–4.6 cm, ribbed, base slightly to moderately swollen and dif­ferent color and texture, sometimes slightly winged, glandular, minutely puberulent; rachis 1.2–2.2 cm; petiolules brown, 2–3.5 mm, sparsely glandular, brown-puberulent; leaflet blades usually lanceolate, rarely rhombic to obovate, 3.5–6.5 × 2–3.7 cm, base attenuate, apex rounded to acute, surfaces abaxially less glandular and sparsely puberulent and with prominent veins, adaxially glandular and glabrous. Peduncles 5–9.5 cm. Inflorescences with 5–20 nodes, 2 or 3 flowers per node, ovoid; rachis 1.5–4 cm, internodes 1.5–3 mm; bracts usually late deciduous, caudate-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3–7 × 1–2.5 mm, abaxially glandular, sparsely pubescent, hairs black. Pedicels 1.5–2 mm, at a node often subtended by very reduced, secondary bracts. Flowers 13–15 mm; calyx persistent (in fruit), broadly campanulate (in fruit), 9–10 mm, glandular and strigose, hairs white and/or black, tube stramineous-brown, 6 mm, lobes triangular, 2–3 mm; corolla cream to light yellow, banner 14–15 mm; filaments 10.5–12 mm; anthers elliptic; pistil 10–11.5 mm; ovary sericeous, style base subsericeous. Legumes elliptic, 9–13 × 5–6 mm, beak broadly attached, triangular, to 3 mm, glandular, pubescent, hairs red-brown, short. Seeds red-brown, 6.5–7 × 3.5–4 mm.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Grasslands, open woodlands.
Elevation: 500–2300 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Calif., Mexico (Baja California).

Discussion

Rupertia rigida is known from the San Bernardino Mountains and Peninsular Ranges of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego counties, south to the Sierra de Juárez and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir of Baja California.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.