Taxon Report

Hosackia oblongifolia Benth. var. cuprea (Greene) Brouillet

copper-flowered bird's-foot trefoil

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Taxon Summary

Hosackia oblongifolia var. cuprea, commonly known as copper-flowered bird's-foot trefoil, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Meadows and seeps (edges), and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2400 to 2750 meters. Hosackia oblongifolia var. cuprea is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Hosackia oblongifolia Benth. var. cuprea (Greene) Brouillet
Common Name:	copper-flowered bird's-foot trefoil
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB2A0W1
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Lotus cupreus Greene Lotus oblongifolius var. cupreus

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	2400-2750 (7875-9025)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Global Rank:	G5T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	16
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	16

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Calaveras (CAL), Inyo (INY), Tulare (TUL)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bartlett (3611841), Camp Nelson (3611825), Columbia (3812014), General Grant Grove (3611868), Johnsondale (3511885), Lamont Peak (3511871), Lodgepole (3611856), Moses Mtn. (3611836), Mt. Silliman (3611866), Muir Grove (3611867), Murphys (3812024), Olancha (3611831), Owens Lake (3611748), Sentinel Peak (3611815), Silver City (3611846), Vermillion Canyon (3611738)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



See Leaflets of Botanical Observation and Criticism 1:74 (1904) for original description, and University of California Publications in Botany 10:206 (1923) for revised nomenclature.
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 November 2025].