About Adolphia californica S.Watson
Adolphia californica is a branching shrub that does not grow taller than 1 metre (3.3 ft). It produces thick dark green twigs that range from hairless to fuzzy in texture. These stiff twigs carry sharp thorns. Its leaves are very sparse; each leaf is oval, less than one centimeter long, and ends in either a pointed or rounded tip. The shrub blooms abundantly, producing flower clusters along all of its branches. Each flower forms a star-shaped bowl made of five pointed cream-colored sepals. Between these sepals are five tiny, spoon-shaped, cream-colored petals. This species blooms from December to April. Its fruit is a spherical capsule approximately half a centimeter across. This shrub is native to coastal plains and the foothills of the Peninsular Ranges, located in northwestern Baja California and San Diego County, Southern California. It grows in chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities, at elevations below 400 metres (1,300 ft).
