Native Plants

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Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Leptosiphon aureus ssp. aureus

Leptosiphon aureus (Nutt.) J.M. Porter & L.A. Johnson ssp. aureus

Golden Linanthus, Desert Gold

Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Synonym(s): Linanthus aureus, Linanthus aureus ssp. aureus

USDA Symbol: LEAUA3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A tiny, spindly plant, usually with 3 branches at a fork, with pale to deep yellow, 5-lobed, funnel-shaped flowers on very slender stalks.

Northern Linanthus (Leptosiphon septentrionalis), found from Alberta south to Colorado and west to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range, has a similar manner of branching but grows to 10 inches (25 cm) high and has flowers with a white, pale blue, or lavender corolla about 1/8-1/4 inch (3-6 mm) long.

From the Image Gallery

2 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Yellow, occasionally white, with orange or maroon throat.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NM , NV , UT
Native Distribution: Southern California east to southern Nevada and through southern Arizona to southwestern New Mexico, and south to northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Desert floors and sandy slopes.

Web Reference

Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Leptosiphon aureus ssp. aureus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Leptosiphon aureus ssp. aureus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Leptosiphon aureus ssp. aureus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-27
Research By: TWC Staff

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