Camissonia lewisii P. H. Raven, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 37: 275, fig. 32. 1969

Herbs annual, villous, also glandular puberulent distally. Stems usually several, decum­bent, rarely 1 erect stem, 30–60 cm. Leaves 1–8 × 0.2–1.1 cm; petiole 0–3 cm; blade narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, base cuneate or subcordate, margins denticulate, apex acute. Flowers opening near sunrise; floral tube 1.5–4 m; sepals 1.7–3.4 mm; petals yellow, with 1 or 2 red dots basally, 2.5–5.5 mm; episepalous filaments 2–2.8 mm, epipetalous filaments 1–1.7 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm, less than 5% of pollen grains 4- or 5-pored; style 2.8–4.5 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis. Capsules usually loosely 1-coiled, conspicuously 4-angled in living material, 13–20 × 1.8–2.2 mm. Seeds 0.7–0.8 mm. 2n = 14.

Flowering Mar–May(–Sep). Open sandy and clayey grasslands, coastal dunes and beaches; 0–300 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Camissoniopsis lewisii occurs from Point Dume and the Los Angeles Basin, Los Angeles County, south to Cardon Grande at the northern edge of Baja California Sur. P. H. Raven (1969) determined C. lewisii to be self-compatible and primarily autogamous, and suggested that this coastal Camissoniopsis may have been derived more or less directly from coastal populations of C. bistorta.