Taxon Report

Acmispon rubriflorus (Sharsm.) D.D. Sokoloff

red-flowered bird's-foot trefoil

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Taxon Summary

Acmispon rubriflorus, commonly known as red-flowered bird's-foot trefoil, is a annual herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Cismontane woodland, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 200 to 425 meters. Acmispon rubriflorus is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Acmispon rubriflorus (Sharsm.) D.D. Sokoloff
Common Name:	red-flowered bird's-foot trefoil
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB2A150
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Lotus rubriflorus

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	200-425 (655-1395)
General Habitats:	Cismontane woodland, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	8
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Colusa (COL), Stanislaus (STA), Tehama (TEH)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Copper Mtn. (3712143), Dales (4012231), Gilmore Peak (3912235), Hall Ridge (3912276), Leesville (3912224), Lodoga (3912234), Mt. Boardman (3712144), Newville (3912275)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	38 %
Development	1	12%
Grazing	1	12%
ORV activity	1	12%
Other	1	12%

Notes



Needs field work. See Madroño 6(2):56 (1941) for original description.
Threats:
Threatened by development. Possibly threatened by grazing and non-native plants.
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 27 October 2025].