Allotropa sp.
Sugar stick, Sugar Stick
(c) Alex Abair, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alex Abair · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Perennial · Variable; species dependent
Allotropa sp. (Sugar stick) is a non-native California perennial in the Ericaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Pterospora: Allotropa has red-and-white stripes; Pterospora is uniformly brownish without stripes.; vs Sarcodes: Allotropa has red-and-white stripes; Sarcodes is solid bright red throughout.; vs Monotropa: Allotropa stands upright with stripes; Monotropa nods when young and lacks stripes.; vs Pleuricospora: Allotropa has red-and-white stripes and protruding stamens; Pleuricospora is uniformly colored with included stamens.; vs Pityopus: Allotropa has distinctive candy-cane stripes; Pityopus is uniformly reddish-brown without stripes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Allotropa sp. native to California?
No. Allotropa sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Allotropa sp. belong to?
Allotropa sp. is in the Ericaceae family, genus Allotropa.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.