Castilleja rubicundula
Cream sacs
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Castilleja rubicundula (Cream sacs) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Cream sacs is a California native annual wildflower found in mixed montane and subalpine habitats at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces creamy white to pale yellow flowers with distinctive purple-dotted pouches, forming dense inflorescences 5 to 15 centimeters long. Growing with spreading, glandular-hairy stems 20 to 70 centimeters tall, it has an open, branching habit. Its leaves are elongated and lanceolate, typically 20 to 80 millimeters long with occasional narrow lobes. The delicate flowers feature a straight 5 to 7 millimeter beak and lower lip pouches that are 8 to 10 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Napa, Lake, San Mateo, Sonoma, Nevada, Amador, Shasta, Marin, Colusa, Alameda
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 rubicundula native to California?
Yes. Castilleja rubicundula is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Castilleja rubicundula grow?
Castilleja rubicundula occurs in Napa, Lake, San Mateo, Sonoma, Nevada, Amador, Shasta, Marin and other counties.
What plant family does Castilleja rubicundula belong to?
Castilleja rubicundula is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Castilleja.
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.