Camissoniopsis hirtella
Hairy sun cup
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Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Camissoniopsis hirtella (Hairy sun cup) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by spotless petals and very narrow coiled fruits.
Hairy sun cup is a California native annual herb found in northwestern, Sierra Nevada, central western, and southwestern regions on open shrubby slopes, especially in burns, at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from March to August, this plant produces pale yellow flowers with petals 2 to 9 millimeters long. Growing with ascending stems less than 60 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive rosette with spreading hairs. Its leaves are narrowly ovate to ovate, 10 to 80 millimeters long, with minute teeth and nearly sessile on the stem. The plant produces distinctive cylindrical fruits 13 to 20 millimeters long that are generally 1 to 2 times coiled.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; distinguished by spotless petals and very narrow coiled fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open shrubby slopes, especially in burns
Elevation: < 2300 m
California counties: Fresno, Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Colusa, Santa Clara, Glenn, Lake, Tehama, San Francisco, Mendocino, San Benito, El Dorado, Santa Barbara, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Amador, Solano, Napa, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Sonoma, Tulare, San Mateo, Madera, Yolo, Shasta
Outside California: northern and central Baja California
Bloom period
Camissoniopsis hirtella blooms Mar-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Camissonia: Camissoniopsis flowers from base with four-angled fruits; Camissonia flowers from top with round fruits.; vs Oenothera: Camissoniopsis has four-angled fruits; Oenothera has round fruits and a distinctive 4-lobed cross-shaped stigma.; vs Taraxia: Camissoniopsis has four-angled fruits and flowers from base; Taraxia has round fruits.; vs Tetrapteron: Camissoniopsis has four-angled fruits; Tetrapteron has four-winged fruits.; vs Eulobus: Camissoniopsis has four-angled fruits; Eulobus has wand-like stems with red-flecked petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Camissoniopsis hirtella native to California?
Yes. Camissoniopsis hirtella is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Camissoniopsis hirtella bloom?
Camissoniopsis hirtella blooms Mar-Aug.
Where in California does Camissoniopsis hirtella grow?
Camissoniopsis hirtella occurs in Fresno, Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 2300 m.
What plant family does Camissoniopsis hirtella belong to?
Camissoniopsis hirtella is in the Onagraceae family, genus Camissoniopsis.
What habitat does Camissoniopsis hirtella grow in?
Camissoniopsis hirtella grows in Open shrubby slopes, especially in burns.
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.