Eriastrum ertterae

Lime ridge woolly-star, lime ridge eriastrum, ertter's woolly-star

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Lime ridge woolly-star is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in northern and central Coast Ranges Interior in open areas, firebreaks, chaparral, and oak woodland at elevations of 190 to 280 meters. Flowering in June, this plant produces delicate white to very pale blue flowers with occasional lavender streaks, featuring a narrowly funnel-shaped corolla about 6 millimeters long. Growing 1.5 to 20 centimeters tall with erect stems that are simple or branched above the base, it develops thread-like to linear leaves that begin woolly when young and become nearly smooth with age. Its leaves are typically 9 to 29 millimeters long, sometimes with 3 lobes at the base, and the plant forms terminal flower heads containing 3 to 9 blossoms. The fruit is a small tan capsule approximately 3 to 4 millimeters long, containing 2 to 4 seeds per chamber.

Habitat: Open areas, firebreaks, in chaparral, oak woodland

Bloom period: Jun

Elevation: 190-280 m

Bioregions: n&ampc NCoRI.

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