Brodiaea pallida
Chinese camp brodiaea, Chinese Camp Brodiaea
Family: Themidaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Threatened
Chinese camp brodiaea is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada Foothills in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, specifically in intermittent streambeds and vernal swales at elevations of 160 to 390 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces violet flowers with pale bases, the perianth lobes 10.5 to 16.5 millimeters long and spreading delicately. Growing with a slender scape 10 to 20 centimeters tall, it emerges from underground corms with graceful, thin stems. Its flowers feature distinctive white staminodes that are nearly as wide as the outer perianth lobes, with deep-notched tips and flat to slightly inrolled margins. The flower structure is uniquely urn-shaped, with a thin, opaque perianth tube that does not split in fruit.
Habitat: Intermittent streambeds, vernal swales, serpentine or not
Bloom period: May-Jun
Elevation: 160-390 m
Bioregions: n&c SNF (Calaveras, Tuolumne cos.).
California counties: Tuolumne, Calaveras, Shasta, San Diego, Ventura, Stanislaus
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.