Common names:
Foothill deerweed, foothill deervetch
Family:
Scientific name:
Acmispon brachycarpus
Synonym:
Lotus humistratus
Main flower color:
Range:
From southwest Oregon to far west Texas, and a small area of Idaho
Height:
Up to 7 inches, though generally the stems are prostrate
Habitat:
Woodland, grassland, roadsides, hillsides; up to 5,500 feet
Leaves:
Pinnately or palmately divided, usually with 4 elliptic or obovate leaflets, less than half an inch long
Season:
March to June
Acmispon brachycarpus is one of the more distinctive deervetch, or deerweed species as its pea-like, orange-yellow flowers are borne singly from the leaf nodes, are sessile, and are rather smaller than the surrounding leaves. Plants are generally prostrate, and often form mats, Stems and leaves have a light to dense covering of silvery hairs. Leaves are quite thick and fleshy, approximately oval in shape, with pointed tips.
The hairy, pointed calyx lobes are about the 1.5 times the length of the calyx tube. The banner petal is not much recurved, and only a little larger than the banner petals, which enclose similar-sized keel petals. The upper edge of the banner petal is often darker in color, and all petals become red as they wither. The flower center contains ten stamens; one free and nine fused.
The hairy, pointed calyx lobes are about the 1.5 times the length of the calyx tube. The banner petal is not much recurved, and only a little larger than the banner petals, which enclose similar-sized keel petals. The upper edge of the banner petal is often darker in color, and all petals become red as they wither. The flower center contains ten stamens; one free and nine fused.
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