A cryptic plant that survives part of the year dormant underground from starch reserves in a corm, after sufficient rainfall, leaves will emerge, soon giving way to small inflorescences with yellow star-shaped flowers.

The stem has evolved into a corm-like unit buried under the surface of the soil, and plants utilize starch reserves within the tuberous root to survive the dry season.

[5] This species was first named by botanist Sereno Watson as Sedum variegatum in 1876, based on collections by Daniel Cleveland in San Diego.

[6] In 1945, it was believed that Dudleya multicaulis, at the time called Hasseanthus elongatus, occurred in the Sweetwater River Canyon, at Dehesa, San Diego County.

[7] In 1953, Reid Moran transferred the genus Hasseanthus as a subgenus of Dudleya on the basis of cytotaxonomic work with Dr. Charles H. Uhl, thus creating the current name.

[8] In the southern part of its range, particularly near Rosarito Beach and Rancho Cuevas in the north of Baja California, plants similar to this species are found that also combine characteristics of Dudleya blochmaniae.

[7] Dudleya variegata is usually grouped into the subgenus Hasseanthus, a taxonomic rank characterized by diminutive size, deciduous leaves and underground corms.

These include: The plant is endemic to an area roughly 80 km long, from San Diego County down into northwestern Baja California, from Tijuana to Ensenada.

The rush to develop industrial parks and suburbs along the Mexican-American border near Otay Mesa has led to extensive devastation of major populations and colonies of the plant.