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thorn-mint

Scientific Name: Acanthomintha

Family: Lamiaceae

Category: Dicot

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The genus Acanthomintha, commonly known as thornmint or thorn-mint, belongs to the Lamiaceae family, also known as the mint family.

All species within the Acanthomintha genus are aromatic annual wildflowers native to California in the USA.
Specific species like Acanthomintha ilicifolia (San Diego thornmint) are also native to Baja California.
The San Diego thorn-mint genus occurs almost exclusively in California.
San Diego thornmint is specifically found on clay lenses on the north slopes of Emerald Heights in the City of Escondido, and is primarily found on privately owned land in San Diego County.

Thornmint species are aromatic annual herbs.
They have square stems that are erect growing.
San Diego thornmint is a low-growing annual herb with stem heights ranging from 2 to 8 inches (5-20 cm), with few to many branches.
San Mateo thornmint is a strong-scented annual herb that branches from near the base and grows to a height of 4 to 7 inches.
San Diego thornmint produces clusters of white flowers with pink.

The discovery of the federally endangered San Mateo thornmint (Acanthomintha duttonii) helped prevent Edgewood from being converted into a golf course, highlighting the importance of this species for habitat preservation.

San Diego thornmint is a California endangered plant species, meaning that killing or possessing this plant is prohibited by the California Endangered Species Act.
The San Mateo Thornmint is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as endangered in California.