Castilleja attenuata
Valley tassels, Valley Tassels
(c) Patricio Novoa, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Castilleja attenuata (Valley tassels) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by but unique annual habit and white/pale yellow tips.
Valley tassels is a California native annual found in the Central Coast and Central Valley grasslands at elevations generally below 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white or pale yellow flowers with purple dots, featuring distinctive white-tipped bracts that form dense clusters up to 2 centimeters wide. Growing with spreading-hairy stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops a delicate, open branching structure. Its leaves are linear, reaching 20 to 80 millimeters long with occasional 0 to 3 narrow lobes. The small seed capsules measure 7 to 11 millimeters in length, containing tiny seeds less than 1 millimeter long with a loosely netted coat.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 58 sympatric species, but unique annual habit and white/pale yellow tips
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassland
Elevation: generally < 1600 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Butte, Tuolumne, Kern, Tulare, Colusa, Amador, Ventura, Solano, San Diego, Shasta, Humboldt, Mariposa, Alameda, Madera, San Benito, Sacramento, Lake, Stanislaus, Los Angeles, Placer, El Dorado, Monterey, Fresno, Marin, Napa, Merced, Yolo, Calaveras, Sonoma, Tehama, Imperial, Mendocino, Glenn, Sutter, Yuba, Contra Costa, Trinity, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Siskiyou, Santa Clara, Del Norte, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Kings, Inyo
Outside California: to British Columbia, northern Baja California, also central Chile
Bloom period
Castilleja attenuata blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Triphysaria: Castilleja lacks the sharp fold in flower throat; Triphysaria has abrupt crease above lower lip.; vs Trifolium: Castilleja has tubular flowers with colorful bracts; Trifolium has round heads of pea-like flowers and three leaflets.; vs Pedicularis: Castilleja has open forward beak and colorful bracts; Pedicularis has closed hood and fern-like leaves.; vs Orthocarpus: Castilleja has open beak you can see into; Orthocarpus has closed hood covering stamens completely.; vs Epilobium: Castilleja has tubular two-lipped flowers and colorful bracts; Epilobium has four separate petals arranged in cross.
Frequently asked questions
Is Castilleja attenuata native to California?
Yes. Castilleja attenuata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Castilleja attenuata bloom?
Castilleja attenuata blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Castilleja attenuata grow?
Castilleja attenuata occurs in San Luis Obispo, Butte, Tuolumne, Kern, Tulare, Colusa, Amador, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of generally < 1600 m.
What plant family does Castilleja attenuata belong to?
Castilleja attenuata is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Castilleja.
What habitat does Castilleja attenuata grow in?
Castilleja attenuata grows in Grassland.
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.