Aliciella hutchinsifolia
Desert pale aliciella, Desert Pale Aliciella
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Aliciella hutchinsifolia (Desert pale aliciella) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by skunk odor and flower size.
Desert pale aliciella is a California native annual found in Great Basin and Mojave Desert regions in sandy or gravelly flats and dunes at elevations of 400 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to lavender flowers with a green-spotted throat, 7 to 14 millimeters long and generally featuring wavy-margined petals. Growing with branched stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall and densely covered in glandular hairs, it has a distinctively skunk-like odor. Its basal leaves are 2 to 8 centimeters long, pinnately divided with linear lobes wider than the leaf axis, while upper leaves are simple and linear. The plant produces numerous small fruits 3 to 6 millimeters long, which exceed the size of its calyx.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; skunk odor and flower size are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly flats, slopes, dunes
Elevation: 400-1800 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, Kern
Outside California: to Utah, Arizona
Bloom period
Aliciella hutchinsifolia blooms Mar-May(Jun).
How to tell it apart
vs Gilia: Aliciella has wheel-shaped flowers with spreading lobes; Gilia has funnel-shaped flowers with a tube.; vs Phacelia: Aliciella leaves are cleanly feather-divided; Phacelia leaves are more irregularly lobed or toothed.; vs Linanthus: Aliciella smells skunky when crushed; Linanthus lacks this odor.; vs Lathrocasis: Aliciella has deeply divided compound leaves; Lathrocasis has simple, undivided leaves.; vs Allophyllum: Aliciella has wheel-shaped flowers; Allophyllum has funnel-shaped flowers and long fuzzy hairs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aliciella hutchinsifolia native to California?
Yes. Aliciella hutchinsifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Aliciella hutchinsifolia bloom?
Aliciella hutchinsifolia blooms Mar-May(Jun).
Where in California does Aliciella hutchinsifolia grow?
Aliciella hutchinsifolia occurs in Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, Kern, at elevations of 400-1800 m.
What plant family does Aliciella hutchinsifolia belong to?
Aliciella hutchinsifolia is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Aliciella.
What habitat does Aliciella hutchinsifolia grow in?
Aliciella hutchinsifolia grows in Sandy or gravelly flats, slopes, dunes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.