Allophyllum divaricatum
Trinity Mountains rockcress
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Allophyllum divaricatum (Trinity Mountains rockcress) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by distinctive skunk odor and red-purple tube color.
Trinity Mountains rockcress is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, southern Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in sandy areas, chaparral, and woodland at elevations of 300 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pink flowers with red-purple corollas 8 to 22 millimeters long, featuring distinctive unequal stamens. Growing with glandular stems less than 60 centimeters tall that have a distinctive skunk-like odor, it develops spreading branches. Its lower leaves have 3 to 13 lobes approximately 4 to 8 millimeters wide, arranged in a lanceolate pattern. The plant produces 1 to 3 brown seeds per chamber, with flowers clustered in groups of 2 to 8.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinctive skunk odor and red-purple tube color are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy areas, chaparral, woodland
Elevation: 300-1800 m
California counties: Calaveras, Fresno, Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Madera, Nevada, Trinity, Lake, Tuolumne, Tulare, Butte, Monterey, Mariposa, Amador, Tehama, Solano, Colusa, San Diego, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, El Dorado, Plumas, Shasta, Placer, Sierra, Lassen, Siskiyou, Napa, Contra Costa, Mendocino, Glenn, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Sacramento, Santa Barbara
Bloom period
Allophyllum divaricatum blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Gilia: Allophyllum has long fuzzy hairs; Gilia has white cobwebby or sharply bent hairs.; vs Microsteris: Allophyllum has variable long hairs and sticky seeds; Microsteris has short uniform hairs and dry seeds.; vs Eriastrum: Allophyllum is fuzzy-hairy; Eriastrum has woolly-white flower heads.; vs Collomia: Allophyllum has funnel flowers and sticky seeds; Collomia has trumpet flowers and dry seeds.; vs Linanthus: Allophyllum is conspicuously fuzzy with long hairs; Linanthus is less hairy or smooth.
Frequently asked questions
Is Allophyllum divaricatum native to California?
Yes. Allophyllum divaricatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Allophyllum divaricatum bloom?
Allophyllum divaricatum blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Allophyllum divaricatum grow?
Allophyllum divaricatum occurs in Calaveras, Fresno, Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Madera and other counties, at elevations of 300-1800 m.
What plant family does Allophyllum divaricatum belong to?
Allophyllum divaricatum is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Allophyllum.
What habitat does Allophyllum divaricatum grow in?
Allophyllum divaricatum grows in Sandy areas, chaparral, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.