Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides
Pine creek evening-primrose, Pine Creek Evening-Primrose
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides (Pine creek evening-primrose) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by . Key features: leaf size, fruit width and shape.
Pine creek evening-primrose is a California native annual found in the Mono Basin and White and Inyo Mountains in sandy sagebrush slopes and flats at elevations of 600 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces delicate yellow flowers with petals arranged in loose clusters. Growing with slender stems 3 to 35 centimeters tall and covered in dense, minute strigose hairs, it forms a compact annual form. Its leaves are narrow and lanceolate, measuring 10 to 40 millimeters long, with proximal leaves often oblanceolate or absent. The fruit is distinctive, measuring 1 to 1.4 millimeters wide and characterized by strongly wavy and twisted surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species. Key features: leaf size, fruit width and shape
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy slopes, flats, generally sagebrush scrub
Elevation: 600-1700 m
Outside California: to southern Idaho, western Utah
Bloom period
Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Chylismia: Eremothera has white/pink flowers opening at night; Chylismia has yellow day flowers.; vs Chorizanthe: Eremothera has regular 4-petaled flowers; Chorizanthe has tiny flowers in papery involucres (buckwheat family).; vs Oenothera: Eremothera has white/pink flowers; Oenothera typically has yellow flowers with 4-lobed stigma.; vs Camissonia: Eremothera has white/pink night flowers; Camissonia has yellow day flowers.; vs Gayophytum: Eremothera has larger white/pink flowers; Gayophytum has tiny thread-like stems and minute flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides native to California?
Yes. Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides bloom?
Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides belong to?
Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides is in the Onagraceae family, genus Eremothera.
Is Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides rare or endangered?
Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
What habitat does Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides grow in?
Eremothera boothii subsp. alyssoides grows in Sandy slopes, flats, generally sagebrush scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eremothera boothii subsp. boothii — Booth's evening-primrose
- Eremothera boothii subsp. condensata
- Eremothera boothii subsp. decorticans — Shredding evening-primrose
- Eremothera boothii subsp. desertorum
- Eremothera boothii subsp. intermedia — Booth's hairy evening-primrose
- Eremothera chamaenerioides — Long fruit suncup
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.