The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges System.
Ornithostaphylos is a monotypic plant genus which contains the single species Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia, commonly known as the Baja California birdbush or Baja California manzanita. A large, evergreen shrub in the heather family, this species is near-endemic to northwestern Baja California, with a small population just north of the border in San Ysidro, California. It produces a much-branched inflorescence of white, urn-shaped flowers, and has leathery leaves that appear opposite or in whorls. These unique characteristics separate it from its close relatives in the region, which include manzanitas (Arctostaphylos), summer holly (Comarostaphylis) and mission manzanita (Xylococcus).
Heuchera brevistaminea is a rare species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name Laguna Mountains alumroot. It is endemic to the Laguna Mountains of San Diego County, California. It grows in rock crevices and steep cliffsides in chaparral and yellow pine forest habitats. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing an inflorescence up to 25 centimeters tall. The flowers are bright pink or magenta.
Pachycormus is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the cashew family commonly known as the Baja elephant tree, torote blanco, or copalquín. The single species Pachycormus discolor is endemic to the Baja California peninsula, with three varieties. This sarcocaulescent tree or shrub is characterized by its unique gnarled growth habit, skin-like exfoliating bark, and succulent nature, whose appearance has been colorfully described as "the proboscis of an elephant holding a nosegay," a "huge radish protruding from the ground," or "grotesque resemblances of the flexed limbs of a corpulent human being." This drought-deciduous species spends most of the year dormant, but following rains pinnate green leaves emerge, and in the late spring to summer the leaves yellow, fall, and give way to bright red, cream, or pink flowers that give it a striking appearance in bloom.
Cylindropuntia californica is a species of cholla cactus known by the common name snake cholla. It is primarily found in Baja California, Mexico and the southernmost part of California in the United States. It is characterized by a short, decumbent habit, yellow-green flowers, elongated stems, and short spines. It is mostly found in coastal sage scrub and coastal chaparral habitats, but two varieties in Baja California can be found in foothills and deserts. In California, variety californica is regarded as a rare and threatened plant, with a California Native Plant Society listing of 1B.1, in part due to its limited number of occurrences and threats from development. It formerly had a larger range due to the inclusion of Cylindropuntia bernardina within it as the variety parkeri.
Ficus petiolaris, commonly known as the petiolate fig and rock fig, is a fig that is endemic to Mexico from Baja California and Sonora south to Oaxaca. It grows from 10–20 feet high. It grows best with moderate water and partial shade. A unique feature is white hairs on the vein axils. Other common names include the Baja California rock fig, Palmer wild fig, and Brandegee wild fig.
Xylonagra arborea is a flowering plant endemic to the western side of the Baja California Peninsula. It is a bushy shrub distinguished by showy, scarlet flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. It is the sole species in the genus Xylonagra, which belongs to the family Onagraceae.
Dudleya pauciflora is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name few-flower liveforever. It is characterized by its small, crowded rosettes of narrow leaves, and its colorful inflorescence with strongly red-marked yellow flowers. Found growing on rocky outcrops and cliffs in the high elevation mountains of the Sierra de San Pedro Martir and the Sierra de San Borja, it is endemic to the state of Baja California, Mexico.
Dudleya rubens is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name as the San Francisco liveforever, native to the mountains of Baja California Sur. It is a rosette-forming plant with waxy leaves, characterized by branching stems and dull red to apricot flowers. It is only found above 500 metres (1,600 ft) in the Sierra de San Francisco and the Sierra de la Giganta ranges in Baja California Sur, primarily on north-facing volcanic slopes.
Dudleya nubigena is a species of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae. It is a rosette forming perennial with flattish leaves. Endemic to southern Baja California Sur, the species is found in the Sierra de la Laguna and the surrounding lowlands, and on Cerralvo Island.
Nahuatlea aborescens is a species of tree in the Composite family endemic to the Cape region and Cerralvo Island of Baja California Sur, commonly known as ocote. It grows up to 8 meters tall, with monoecious tan-colored flowers and short, leafy branchlets. It was formerly in the genus Gochnatia, where it was known commonly as the tree gochnatia.
Lysiloma candidum, most commonly known as the palo blanco, is a tree of the family Fabaceae near-endemic to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It may grow to a height of 10 metres (33 ft) and is one of the few spineless woody legumes in the region. It has compound leaves with oval gray-green leaflets. The creamy-white, globose clusters of flowers bloom in March through May and perfume the air with a light, spicy fragrance. The flowers are followed by red-brown pods up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long that hang delicately on the thin branches. This species is distributed throughout the Baja California Peninsula, from Rancho El Barril in southern Baja California state to the Cape region of Baja California Sur, and is also very rarely found in the state of Sonora.
Bidens nudata is a species of perennial plant in the family Asteraceae commonly known as the Cape beggar's tick or Baja tickseed. This species is endemic to the Sierra de la Laguna and the Sierra de las Cacachilas of Baja California Sur, Mexico. It is characterized by a mounding habit, pinnate green leaves and large yellow daisy-like flowers. This species has found uses in horticulture as an ornamental, providing a drought-tolerant and durable plant for the garden.
Nolina beldingii is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae known commonly as the Cape nolina or Belding's beargrass. It is an arborescent monocot growing up to 7 metres (23 ft) high, with fissured bark on a trunk topped with leaf rosettes. The narrow leaves are up to 1.15 m (3.8 ft) long, and are used as thatching by local peoples. This species is endemic to Baja California Sur in Mexico, where it grows only in the highest reaches of the Sierra de la Laguna. It is found primarily in oak forests at elevations over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) along rocky granite outcrops.
Jacquemontia abutiloides is a species of vining plant in the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae) commonly known as the felt-leaf clustervine or felt-leaf morning-glory. A perennial characterized by wooly leaves and blue to whitish flowers, this species grows as a woody plant to shrub with vining upper stems. Flowering is from September to June. It is near-endemic to the Baja California peninsula, Mexico, concentrated mostly around the central peninsula south of the Vizcaino Desert, and found on some of the coastal islands.
Distimake aureus is a species of vining plant in the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae) commonly known as the yellow morning-glory, yellow woodrose or yuca vine. A woody vine, this species is characterized by its large trumpet-shaped yellow flowers that bloom year-round, though most often after rain. Each of the showy flowers are only open for a single day. It is endemic to Baja California Sur, Mexico, where it can be found twining and climbing over trees, shrubs, and rocks.
Lepechinia hastata is a rare species of perennial shrub in the mint family commonly known as the Cape pitcher sage or Baja pitcher sage. An aromatic plant, it is characterized by attractive magenta to purple flowers. The plant is slightly woody at the base, and has large arrowhead-shaped leaves. In the wild, it is only known from the forested mountains of the Sierra de La Laguna in Baja California Sur and the volcanic Socorro Island in the Pacific Ocean. The plants of Socorro Island represent their own subspecies. It is also found in the Hawaiian island of Maui where it is known as pakaha. It is unclear if the Hawaiian plants are introduced or represent a natural disjunct population. In horticulture, this plant is a widely-cultivated ornamental. It is one of three species of Lepechinia in the Baja California area, with the other two, Lepechinia ganderi and Lepechinia cardiophylla, found far to the north in drier chaparral habitat.
Schoepfia californica is a species of flowering plant in the Schoepfiaceae commonly known as the California schoepfia, iguajil, and candelillo. It is a large shrub or small tree with grayish bark, smooth turquoise-colored leaves, and small red flowers. It is endemic to the Baja California peninsula, and is commonly found in desert flats, slopes, and washes in an area from the Bahia de Los Angeles to the Cape region at the tip of the peninsula.
Justicia purpusii is a species of flowering plant in the Acanthus family commonly known as Purpus' hummingbird flower or chuparosa. This shrub is characterized by long orange-red tubular flowers that bloom from November to April. It is endemic to the Cape region of Baja California Sur, Mexico, where it is found growing in tropical deciduous forest and thorn scrub in canyons and along wet slopes. It is similar to its more northern relative adapted to drier climates, Justicia californica. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that both species are closely related and form a clade.
Ruellia californica is a species of flowering plant in the Acanthus family commonly known as the rama parda or flor del campo. This evergreen shrub is native to the Baja California peninsula and neighboring coastal Sonora. It is characterized by showy, funnelform blue-purple flowers that bloom throughout the year. There are two subspecies, one endemic to Baja California Sur, and they primarily differ in their presence or absence of hairs on their foliage. This plant is cultivated as an ornamental, and is used to provide a colorful accent to desert and dry gardens.
