Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum
Photo: parent species Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum · (c) Alex, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum is a native California annual in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by key features: sparse/no basal hairs, larger flowers, branchlets with 2 leaves, no dark veins.
Snapdragon is a California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges, Sutter Buttes, San Francisco Bay Area, and northern South Coast Ranges in gravelly lower slopes, rockslides, and disturbed areas, often on serpentine at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white or pale flowers with distinctive darker veining. Growing with erect stems 7 to 170 centimeters tall, the plant has sparse proximal stem hairs less than 3 millimeters long. Its inflorescence branches feature two leaves at the proximal-most node, with an unusual calyx structure where the upper lobe measures 6.8 to 14 millimeters and the lower lobe 4 to 8.6 millimeters long. The flower corolla ranges 11 to 17 millimeters in length, creating a delicate and intricate appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key features: sparse/no basal hairs, larger flowers, branchlets with 2 leaves, no dark veins
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly lower slopes of rockslides, disturbed areas, often on serpentine
Elevation: < 1200 m
California counties: Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Marin, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Napa, Alameda, Lake, San Francisco, Merced, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Solano, Sutter, Los Angeles, San Benito, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Yolo
Bloom period
Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum blooms Jun-Aug.
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 vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum native to California?
Yes. Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum bloom?
Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum grow?
Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum occurs in Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Marin, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Napa, Alameda, Lake and other counties, at elevations of < 1200 m.
What plant family does Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum belong to?
Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Antirrhinum.
What habitat does Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum grow in?
Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum subsp. vexillocalyculatum grows in Gravelly lower slopes of rockslides, disturbed areas, often on serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Antirrhinum virga — Twig-like snapdragon
- Antirrhinum confertiflorum — Ghost flower
- Antirrhinum cornutum — Spurred snapdragon
- Antirrhinum coulterianum — Coulter snapdragon
- Antirrhinum filipes — Tangled snapdragon
- Antirrhinum kelloggii — Climbing snapdragon
- Bacopa eisenii — Gila river water hyssop
- Bacopa monnieri — Herb of grace
- Bacopa repens — Creeping water hyssop
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.