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Taxon  Report  
Proboscidea althaeifolia  (Benth.) Decne.
Desert devil's claw,   Desert unicorn plant
Proboscidea althaeifolia is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found in Baja California; Sonora, Mexico and Arizona.
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.3 (limited distribution).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
(123 records)
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
bloom graphic
Bloom Period
Genus: Proboscidea
Family: Martyniaceae  
(Pedaliaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Creosote Bush Scrub
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS
Alternate Names:
PLANTSMartynia althaeifolia
PLANTSMartynia arenaria
JEFProboscidea altheaefolia
PLANTSProboscidea arenaria
Information about  Proboscidea althaeifolia from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (PRAL4)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 06/04/2023).