Acmispon prostratus, synonyms Lotus nuttallianus and Syrmatium prostratum, is a species of legume native to California and northwestern Mexico. It is known by the common names beach lotus, Nuttall's lotus, and wire bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to Baja California and just into San Diego County, California, where it is a resident of coastal habitats, such as beaches and bluffs.
It is a rare plant of the highly developed coastline in and around the city of San Diego, where threatened populations are known at Mission Bay,[1] the Silver Strand and Imperial Beach.[2]
This is an annual herb lined with leaves made up of oval leaflets one half to one centimeter long. The inflorescence bears 3 to 8 red and yellow flowers each about a centimeter in length. The fruit is a slender, curved legume pod containing usually 2 small beanlike seeds.