Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri
Coulter's spiderling
Photo: parent species Boerhavia coulteri · (c) Rachel Stringham, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri (Coulter's spiderling) is a native California annual in the Nyctaginaceae family, recognized by var. coulteri by fruit spacing and stem orientation.
Coulter's spiderling is a California native annual found in the Channel Islands, southeastern Desert Mountains, and Sonoran Desert in gravelly hillsides, washes, and arid grasslands at elevations of 90 to 1,540 meters. Flowering from mid-summer to early fall, this plant produces delicate pink flowers with rounded perianth. Growing with purplish, decumbent to ascending stems that spread low across the ground, it has a distinctive prostrate growth habit. Its leaves are subtly arranged along the stems, complementing the plant's sprawling form. The fruit develops in well-spaced clusters, with individual segments 2 to 2.4 millimeters long and typically having rounded tips.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species, distinguished from var. coulteri by fruit spacing and stem orientation
Habitat and range
Habitat: gravelly hillsides, washes, arid grasslands
Elevation: 90-1540 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial
Outside California: to TX, Mexico
Bloom period
Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri blooms Mid summer-early fall.
How to tell it apart
vs Allionia: Boerhavia has loose, open flower clusters; Allionia has exactly 3 flowers tightly grouped in bract cups.; vs Eriogonum: Boerhavia has opposite leaves and tiny bell flowers; Eriogonum has basal leaf rosettes and papery flower bracts.; vs Mirabilis: Boerhavia has tiny bell flowers under 5mm in loose clusters; Mirabilis has larger flowers in 5-bract cups.; vs Lantana: Boerhavia has tiny single bell flowers and sprawling stems; Lantana has dense rounded heads of tubular flowers.; vs Abronia: Boerhavia has tiny scattered flowers in loose clusters; Abronia has dense rounded pom-pom flower heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri native to California?
Yes. Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri bloom?
Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri blooms Mid summer-early fall.
Where in California does Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri grow?
Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, at elevations of 90-1540 m.
What plant family does Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri belong to?
Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri is in the Nyctaginaceae family, genus Boerhavia.
What habitat does Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri grow in?
Boerhavia coulteri var. palmeri grows in gravelly hillsides, washes, arid grasslands.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.