Antirrhinum kingii
King's snapdragon
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Antirrhinum kingii (King's snapdragon) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by very small flowers and short pedicels.
King's snapdragon is a California native annual herb found on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Kern County, the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert Mountains, particularly in northeastern San Bernardino County, in rocky washes and scree at elevations of 500 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white flowers with delicate violet veins approximately 5 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with erect but weak stems 3 to 45 centimeters tall that often cling to other plants or debris, it has a generally glabrous appearance. Its narrow leaves are sessile, ranging from 2 to 35 millimeters long and varying from linear to elliptic in shape. The fruit is a small oblique-ovoid to spherical capsule 3 to 4.5 millimeters long, with chambers that dehisce through one or two pores at the tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; key features are very small flowers and short pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Washes, scree
Elevation: 500-2300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Mono
Outside California: to southeastern Oregon, western Utah, northwestern Arizona
Bloom period
Antirrhinum kingii blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Linaria: Antirrhinum has a bulging sac at flower base; Linaria has a long backward-pointing spur.; vs Sairocarpus: Antirrhinum has hairy plants with twining flower stalks; Sairocarpus is glabrous with straight stalks.; vs Penstemon: Antirrhinum has closed snapdragon mouth with 4 stamens; Penstemon has open throat with 5 stamens (one sterile).; vs Salvia: Antirrhinum has 4 stamens hidden inside; Salvia has 2 stamens arching out of hooded upper lip.; vs Rosa: Antirrhinum has tubular two-lipped flowers; Rosa has flat open flowers with 5 separate petals and thorny stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Antirrhinum kingii native to California?
Yes. Antirrhinum kingii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Antirrhinum kingii bloom?
Antirrhinum kingii blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Antirrhinum kingii grow?
Antirrhinum kingii occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Mono, at elevations of 500-2300 m.
What plant family does Antirrhinum kingii belong to?
Antirrhinum kingii is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Antirrhinum.
What habitat does Antirrhinum kingii grow in?
Antirrhinum kingii grows in Uncommon. Washes, scree.
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.