Castilleja exserta subsp. latifolia
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native
Purple owl's clover is a California native annual found in northern Coast Ranges and northern and central Coast Counties in coastal grassland and dune habitats at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces distinctive flowers with alternating light and dark bands, tipped in pale lavender. Growing with many decumbent branches, it spreads low across the ground in delicate clusters. Its bracts are particularly notable, with widths generally 5 to 7 millimeters and lobes less than 2 millimeters long. The plant's corolla elegantly mirrors the coloration of its bracts, creating a subtle yet intricate visual display.
Habitat: Coastal grassland, dunes
Bloom period: Mar-May
Elevation: < 500 m
Bioregions: NCo, n&c CCo.
California counties: San Mateo, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Colusa, Mendocino, Marin, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Diego
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.