Boerhavia diffusa
Red spiderling
(c) chiuluan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by chiuluan · licence
Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Boerhavia diffusa (Red spiderling) is a non-native California herb in the Nyctaginaceae family.
Red spiderling is a naturalized perennial found in Yolo County in disturbed places, often along sandy or gravelly river areas at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering essentially all year, this plant produces small red-purple flowers approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters long arranged in compact umbels of 3 to 5 blooms. Growing with decumbent to erect stems less than 1 meter tall that are nearly smooth, it spreads with broadly lanceolate to round leaves that are glabrous or minutely fuzzy. Its leaves have a soft, spreading character with subtle variations in shape from broadly lance-like to almost circular. The fruit develops with stalked glands along its ribs, creating a distinctive textural appearance with a broadly conical tip 3 to 4.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated in Sacramento Valley
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places, often in sand, gravel along rivers
Elevation: < 50 m
Outside California: tropics, subtropics worldwide
Bloom period
Boerhavia diffusa blooms +- all year.
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 diffusa native to California?
No. Boerhavia diffusa is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Boerhavia diffusa bloom?
Boerhavia diffusa blooms +- all year.
What plant family does Boerhavia diffusa belong to?
Boerhavia diffusa is in the Nyctaginaceae family, genus Boerhavia.
What habitat does Boerhavia diffusa grow in?
Boerhavia diffusa grows in Disturbed places, often in sand, gravel along rivers.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.