Dipterostemon capitatus
Blue dicks
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Themidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Dipterostemon capitatus (Blue dicks) is a native California herb in the Themidaceae family, recognized by Only species in genus Dipterostemon (0 true congeners); dense head of blue-purple flowers; desert (SNE, D).
Blue dicks is a California native perennial found in various California bioregions in grasslands, chaparral, and oak woodlands at elevations from sea level to 1,600 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces blue to blue-purple or occasionally pink-purple flowers in dense clusters with narrow bracts. Growing with slender stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it emerges from a deep underground corm. Its leaves are narrow and grass-like, typically two to three in number, measuring 10 to 70 centimeters long and slightly keeled. The flower clusters feature delicate blue blossoms with stamens that curve outward, creating an elegant and distinctive appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Only species in genus Dipterostemon (0 true congeners); dense head of blue-purple flowers; desert (SNE, D)
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare, Riverside, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, Inyo, Tuolumne, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Yuba, Colusa, Nevada, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo, Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Trinity, Placer, Mariposa, Merced, Plumas, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, San Joaquin, Solano, Tehama, Yolo, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Lake, Madera, Mendocino, San Benito, Sutter, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, Del Norte, Kings
How to tell it apart
vs Dichelostemma: Dipterostemon has 6 fertile stamens (all with anthers) and 2 broad papery bracts under a tight head; Dichelostemma has only 3 fertile stamens alternating with 3 forked, sterile staminodes.; vs Brodiaea: Dipterostemon crowds its flowers into a dense head on very short pedicels with 6 stamens; Brodiaea has an open umbel of long-pedicelled flowers with 3 stamens plus 3 flat petal-like staminodes.; vs Triteleia: Dipterostemon flowers are packed into a bracted head; Triteleia holds its 6-stamened flowers in an open umbel on spreading pedicels.; vs Bloomeria: Dipterostemon has a fused perianth tube and a congested head; Bloomeria has yellow tepals nearly free to the base in an open, star-like umbel.; vs Allium: Dipterostemon has no onion smell and a dense purple head under leafy bracts; Allium (wild onion) reeks of onion and opens from a papery spathe.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dipterostemon capitatus native to California?
Yes. Dipterostemon capitatus is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Dipterostemon capitatus grow?
Dipterostemon capitatus occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare, Riverside, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange and other counties.
What plant family does Dipterostemon capitatus belong to?
Dipterostemon capitatus is in the Themidaceae family, genus Dipterostemon.
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.