Camissoniopsis intermedia
Intermediate sun cups
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Camissoniopsis intermedia (Intermediate sun cups) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by very small flowers with tiny petals and sepals.
Intermediate sun cups is a California native annual found in northwestern, central western, and southwestern California on shrubby slopes, especially in burned areas, at elevations of 300 to 800 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow flowers with small basal spots, about 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters long. Growing with nearly erect stems up to 60 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive rosette with dense spreading hairs. Its leaves are lance-shaped to narrow oval, 10 to 120 millimeters long, with minute teeth and growing nearly sessile along the stem. The fruit is a cylindrical capsule 13 to 25 millimeters long that dries with four somewhat angular sides.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; distinguished by very small flowers with tiny petals and sepals
Habitat and range
Habitat: shrubby slopes, especially burns
Elevation: 300-800 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Ventura, Contra Costa, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Monterey, Glenn, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Shasta, Yolo, Fresno, Napa, Alameda, San Diego, Solano, Lake, Colusa, Sonoma, Santa Cruz
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Camissoniopsis intermedia blooms Mar-May.
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 intermedia native to California?
Yes. Camissoniopsis intermedia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Camissoniopsis intermedia bloom?
Camissoniopsis intermedia blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Camissoniopsis intermedia grow?
Camissoniopsis intermedia occurs in San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Ventura, Contra Costa, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of 300-800 m.
What plant family does Camissoniopsis intermedia belong to?
Camissoniopsis intermedia is in the Onagraceae family, genus Camissoniopsis.
What habitat does Camissoniopsis intermedia grow in?
Camissoniopsis intermedia grows in shrubby slopes, especially 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.