Calflora
Taxon  Report   11269    
Acmispon americanus  (Nutt.) Rydb.  var. americanus 
American bird's foot trefoil,  Spanish lotus
Acmispon americanus var. americanus
© 2009 Neal Kramer
Photos from
CalPhotos / Calflora
Acmispon americanus var. americanus
© 2009 Keir Morse
Acmispon americanus var. americanus
© 2007 Dr. Mark S. Brunell
Acmispon americanus var. americanus, a dicot, is an annual herb that is native to California, is also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.

Interactive Distribution Map


Observation Hotline
(observation details)



point, line, or polygon

Plant Characteristics
and Associations


Bloom Period
Acmispon americanus var. americanus
© 2017 David Wolfson
Family: FABACEAE  
Genus: Acmispon
Parent: Acmispon americanus
Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland, (many plant communities)

Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs in non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: disturbed

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF

 Alternate Names:
ICPN: Lotus purshianus var. purshianus
More information about  Acmispon americanus var. americanus
Nursery / seed vendor availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Landscaping information from Calscape
Photos on PlantID.net   /   Google Images
Jepson eFlora

Records from the Consortium of California Herbaria
Search efloras.org (Flora of North America)

website references from Google


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2019. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: Jan 19, 2019).