Chenopodium capitatum var. parvicapitatum
Strawberry blite
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: annual · Native
Strawberry blite is a California native annual found in central Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in aspen groves, conifer forest, pinyon and juniper woodland, meadows, and riverbanks at elevations of 1,400 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces green to red spherical flower clusters 3 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Growing with delicate stems that reach varying heights through its preferred habitats, the plant develops leaves with bases ranging from tapered to truncate. Its leaves have entire or slightly toothed margins, creating a subtle textural profile across the plant's structure. The fruit develops as a thin, membranous structure that transitions from green to red, giving the plant its distinctive strawberry-like appearance.
Habitat: Aspen groves, conifer forest, pinyon/juniper woodland, meadows, riverbanks
Bloom period: Jun-Aug
Elevation: 1400-3000 m
Bioregions: c SNH, MP, W&I
California counties: Mono, Tuolumne
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.