Eremogone ursina

Bear valley sandwort, Bear Valley Sandwort

Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2 · Threatened

Bear valley sandwort is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains in Bear Valley, growing in rocky soil within pinyon and juniper woodland at elevations of 1,950 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white flowers in small, open clusters with delicate petals 2 to 4.5 millimeters long. Growing as a tufted green herb with stems 10 to 18 centimeters tall, often covered in glandular hairs that give a slightly shiny appearance. Its leaves are narrow and sharp-pointed, measuring 5 to 10 millimeters long and only 0.5 to 1 millimeter wide, with a single prominent vein. The fruit produces dark purple seeds that are nearly spherical, approximately 2.2 to 2.5 millimeters long with low, rounded tubercles.

Habitat: Rocky soil, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1950-2100 m

Bioregions: e SnBr (Bear Valley).

California counties: San Bernardino, Fresno

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