About Camissoniopsis micrantha (Hornem. ex Spreng.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch
Camissoniopsis micrantha is an annual herbaceous plant that grows a basal rosette of leaves. The entire plant is covered in dense, grayish, spreading hairs. Its stems can be either decumbent and branched, or erect and simple, and are typically less than 60 cm (24 inches) long. Its dark green leaves range from 1 to 12 cm (0.39 to 4.72 inches) in length; the largest leaves are the basal leaves that make up the rosette. Cauline leaves are generally narrowly lanceolate in shape, with minutely toothed (dentate) margins, and are sessile. As with other species in its genus, the inflorescence is a spike that is nodding when in bud, and the hairs covering the inflorescence are non-glandular. Flowers have a hypanthium 1.2 to 2 mm (0.047 to 0.079 inches) long. They have 4 sepals measuring 1 to 2.5 mm (0.039 to 0.098 inches), and 4 yellow petals 1.4 to 4.5 mm (0.055 to 0.177 inches) long, with up to 2 red spots near the petal base. Fruits are cylindric in shape, 13 to 25 mm (0.51 to 0.98 inches) long by 1.1 to 1.8 mm (0.043 to 0.071 inches) wide. Seeds measure 0.7 to 1.1 mm (0.028 to 0.043 inches) across. This species is distributed in Arizona and California in the United States, and Baja California in Mexico. It is very rare in Baja California, where it is only found near Ojos Negros and San Quintín. It grows in habitats including canyons, coastal dunes, beaches, sandy fields, and washes.
