Claytonia exigua subsp. exigua

Family: Montiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Claytonia exigua is a California native annual found in northwestern California, Sierra Nevada foothills, Great Valley, central western California, Tehachapi Range, and Peninsular Ranges in dry or moist disturbed soils, often on serpentine, at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to July, this delicate plant produces white to pale pink flowers 2 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems typically 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms small, compact clusters in open ground. Its linear leaves are distinctive, sometimes appearing crescent-shaped and partially fused on one side, creating a unique architectural profile. In favorable conditions, this diminutive wildflower can form small, scattered populations in areas with exposed, rocky or clay-like soil.

Habitat: Dry or moist, disturbed bare clay to sandy soils, often serpentine

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: NW, SNF, GV, CW, TR, PR

California counties: Kern, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Santa Clara, Mendocino, Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Inyo, Lake, Madera, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Butte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Mariposa, Nevada, Solano, Sutter, Tuolumne, Santa Cruz, Placer, Merced, Calaveras, Amador, Shasta, Del Norte, Plumas, Yolo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.