Androsace elongata subsp. acuta

California androsace, California Androsace, California androsace

Family: Primulaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

California androsace is a native annual herb found in northern California regions including the California Range, southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, southern coastal regions, western Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in dry grassy slopes at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from February to April, this delicate plant produces small white flowers on thin peduncles with clusters emerging from hairy stems. Growing just 2 to 8 centimeters tall with fine, spreading branches, it forms compact clusters close to the ground. Its narrow lance-linear leaves measure 5 to 20 millimeters long, with finely toothed edges and delicate ciliate margins. Each flower features a hairy calyx with reddish-tipped awl-like lobes, creating a subtle contrast against its white petals.

Habitat: dry grassy slopes

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: < 1200 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, CaR, s SNF, GV, SnFrB, SCoRI, SCo, WTR, SnBr, PR

California counties: Kern, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, Siskiyou, Santa Clara, Tulare, Alameda, Riverside, Ventura, San Joaquin, Glenn, Colusa, Tehama, Monterey, Stanislaus, Merced

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.