Acmispon tomentosus

Acmispon tomentosus is a perennial plant in the family Fabaceae in the genus Acmispon. It is native to California and northwestern Mexico.^[1][2] The variety A. tomentosus var. glabriusculus has the synonym Acmispon heermannii.

Acmispon tomentosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Acmispon
Species:	A. tomentosus
Binomial name
Acmispon tomentosus (Hook. & Arn.) Govaerts[1]
Varieties
See text.
Synonyms[1]
Hosackia tomentosa Hook. & Arn. Lotus eriophorus Greene Lotus heermannii var. eriophorus (Greene) Ottley Lotus tomentosus (Hook. & Arn.) Greene, nom. illeg. Syrmatium eriophorum (Greene) A.Heller Syrmatium tomentosum (Hook. & Arn.) Vogel

Description

The species is identified by small oval hairy succulent leaves. the flower buds are burgundy red and the flowers are yellow, looking much like a small version of a Lotus pedunculatus flower head.^[2]

Sometimes this species occurs as an annual plant if it is growing in certain conditions.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by William Jackson Hooker and George Arnott Walker Arnott in 1832 as Hosackia tomentosa. It was moved to the genus Acmispon in 2018.^[4]

Varieties

As of October 2024^[update], Plants of the World Online accepted two varieties:^[1]

• Acmispon tomentosus var. glabriusculus (Hook. & Arn.) Govaerts
• Acmispon tomentosus var. tomentosus

A. tomentosus var. glabriusculus has the synonym Acmispon heermannii, and has been known by the common name Heermann's bird's-foot trefoil.^[5] As of October 2024^[update], Plants of the World Online and the Jepson eFlora accept this variety rather than the species A. heermannii.^[6]

A. tomentosus var. tomentosus is generally identified by having less red in its buds and more hairy leaves.^[7]