Taxon Report

Hosackia crassifolia Benth. var. otayensis (Moran ex Isely) Brouillet

Otay Mountain lotus

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis, commonly known as Otay Mountain lotus, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral (metavolcanic, and often disturbed areas), growing at elevations from 380 to 1005 meters. Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Hosackia crassifolia Benth. var. otayensis (Moran ex Isely) Brouillet
Common Name:	Otay Mountain lotus
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB2A092
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Lotus crassifolius var. otayensis

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Aug	May-Aug
Elevation:	380-1005 (1245-3295)
General Habitats:	Chaparral
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G5T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	3
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Otay Mountain (3211657)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	33 %
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	33%

Notes



Known in CA only from Otay Mtn., and from one occurrence in BA. Threatened by road maintenance. See Brittonia 30(4):466-467 (1978) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 4 March 2025].