Downingia bicornuta var. bicornuta

Bristled downingia

Family: Campanulaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bristled downingia is a California native annual found in northern California bioregions including the northern Coast Ranges, southern Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, central Sierra Nevada Forest, Sacramento Valley, northern San Joaquin Valley, and Modoc Plateau in vernal pools, roadside ditches, and lake margins at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces blue flowers with a distinctive corolla 9 to 19 millimeters long, featuring two upper lobes that are erect or slightly recurved. Growing with delicate stems, it typically reaches low heights characteristic of annual vernal pool species. Its flowers have unique features, with two lower lobes having prominent bristles at their tips and small anthers measuring 0.6 to 1.5 millimeters long. The flower's blue coloration and distinctive lower lip make it a notable species in seasonal wetland habitats.

Habitat: Vernal pools, roadside ditches, lake margins

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 1700 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, s CaR, n SN, c SNF, ScV, n SnJV, MP

California counties: Lassen, Placer, Lake, Amador, Modoc, Sacramento, Tehama, Butte, Shasta, Plumas, Sierra, Sutter, Yuba, Napa, Solano, Stanislaus, Madera, Merced, Fresno, Yolo, Sonoma

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