Pygmy lotus facts for kids

The Pygmy Lotus (scientific name: Acmispon haydonii) is a small plant that belongs to the legume family. You might also hear it called the Rock Bird's-Foot Trefoil or Haydon's Lotus. This plant is native to California, which means it naturally grows there.

This interesting plant is found in the dry mountain areas and deserts of southern California. It especially likes the desert parts of eastern San Diego County. It grows well in areas with scrub (bushes and small trees) and woodland habitats.

The Pygmy Lotus is a small, bushy plant that lives for many years (this is what "perennial" means). It spreads out with thin, mostly bare stems. Its leaves are not very dense and usually have three tiny leaflets. These leaves are deciduous, which means they fall off during certain seasons, just like some trees lose their leaves in autumn.

The plant produces small, pealike flowers. They are usually yellow or reddish and are less than one centimeter long. These flowers often grow in groups of one or two. After the flowers, the plant makes a curved legume pod, which is also less than one centimeter long. This pod is the fruit of the plant.

What's in a Name?

Scientists give every living thing a special two-part name, like Acmispon haydonii. This helps everyone around the world know exactly which plant they are talking about. Sometimes, a plant's name changes over time as scientists learn more about it.

The Pygmy Lotus was first named in 1889 by a scientist named Charles Russell Orcutt. He called it Hosackia haydonii. Later, other scientists moved it to different groups, giving it new names like Lotus haydonii and Syrmatium haydonii. Finally, in 2008, Luc Brouillet gave it the name Acmispon haydonii, which is its current scientific name. These different names are like nicknames or older versions of its official name.