Downingia bicornuta
Bristled downingia
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Campanulaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Downingia bicornuta (Bristled downingia) is a native California herb in the Campanulaceae family, recognized by Corolla tube densely white-hairy; 2 twisted bristles at tips of the lower anthers.
Bristled downingia is a California native annual found in grassland and vernal pool habitats. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces blue-purple flowers with a striking white central area and yellow-green spots, featuring unique corolla lobes 7 to 19 millimeters long that are densely white-hairy in the tube. Growing delicate stems with slender branching, it reaches heights of 10 to 30 centimeters. Its leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, typically arranged alternately along the stem. The fruit develops 35 to 65 millimeters long, with distinctive longitudinal seed markings.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Corolla tube densely white-hairy; 2 twisted bristles at tips of the lower anthers
Habitat and range
California counties: Butte, Solano, Amador, Lassen, Tulare, Tehama, Shasta, Plumas, Modoc, San Joaquin, Lake, Placer, Yuba, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sacramento, Sutter, Merced, Fresno, Madera, Yolo
How to tell it apart
vs Porterella: Downingia flowers lack yellow ridges; Porterella has two distinctive yellow ridges on the lower lip.; vs Nemacladus: Downingia has showy blue flowers sitting on stem; Nemacladus has threadlike flowers on long stalks.; vs Legenere: Downingia has blue two-lipped flowers; Legenere has small white flowers with nearly equal petals.; vs Lobelia: Downingia is a vernal pool annual; Lobelia is perennial with spherical seed pods.; vs Howellia: Downingia flowers have no stalk; Howellia has short but visible flower stalks 1-8mm long.
Frequently asked questions
Is Downingia bicornuta native to California?
Yes. Downingia bicornuta is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Downingia bicornuta grow?
Downingia bicornuta occurs in Butte, Solano, Amador, Lassen, Tulare, Tehama, Shasta, Plumas and other counties.
What plant family does Downingia bicornuta belong to?
Downingia bicornuta is in the Campanulaceae family, genus Downingia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Downingia bicornuta var. bicornuta — Bristled downingia
- Downingia bicornuta var. picta — Doublehorn calicoflower
- Downingia concolor — Maroonspot calicoflower
- Downingia concolor var. brevior — Cuyamaca lake downingia
- Downingia concolor var. concolor — Maroonspot calicoflower
- Downingia cuspidata — Toothed calicoflower
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.