# Sessile-leaved Yerba Santa

*Eriodictyon sessilifolium*

The name 'Sessile-leaved' refers to the leaves lacking a petiole (stalk), appearing to clasp the stem directly.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Boraginales › Boraginaceae › Eriodictyon
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and rocky slopes of the Baja California peninsula.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (Sunlight, Water, CO2)
- **Range:** Baja California, Mexico
- **Size:** 1-2 meters tall, woody shrub
- **Lifespan:** 15-30 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Coastal development, invasive grasses, and increased wildfire frequency.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. The plant is non-toxic to touch but very sticky due to protective resins. Observe the purple blooms from a distance to avoid disturbing local pollinators like native bees.

## About

Eriodictyon sessilifolium , known by the common names Baja California yerba santa , sessile-leaved yerba santa or sessileleaf yerba santa is a perennial shrub in the Boraginaceae family, near-endemic to Baja California but also rarely found in the southern California, in a locality near Poway.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/24c7764c-4712-4d43-aa8c-5fd429459ccc
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/287577
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriodictyon sessilifolium
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/38267622/medium.jpg (Alan Rockefeller, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.