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| Acmispon prostratus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Acmispon |
| Species: | A. prostratus |
| Binomial name | |
| Acmispon prostratus (Nutt.) Brouillet [2] | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Acmispon prostratus, synonyms Lotus nuttallianus and Syrmatium prostratum, is a species of legume native to California and northwestern Mexico. [2] [3] It is known by the common names beach lotus, Nuttall's lotus, and wire bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to Baja California and just into San Diego County, California, where it is a resident of coastal habitats, such as beaches and bluffs.
It is a rare plant of the highly developed coastline in and around the city of San Diego, where threatened populations are known at Mission Bay, [4] the Silver Strand and Imperial Beach. [5]
This is an annual herb lined with leaves made up of oval leaflets one half to one centimeter long. The inflorescence bears 3 to 8 red and yellow flowers each about a centimeter in length. The fruit is a slender, curved legume pod containing usually 2 small beanlike seeds.
