Eriastrum sapphirinum subsp. dasyanthum

Shaggy woolly-star

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Shaggy woolly-star is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, southwestern California, and western deserts in open areas, grasslands, and mixed forests at elevations of 90 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces distinctive white to light purplish flowers with light- to royal-blue or dark purple lobes, occasionally with yellow or white spots. Growing 3 to 54 centimeters tall with much-branched stems that are woolly and glandular, particularly in the upper portions. Its leaves range from 7 to 40 millimeters long, glabrous to woolly, and can be entire or divided into 5 linear lobes. The plant produces tiny capsules 3 to 5 millimeters long containing 1 to 4 slimy seeds that become angular when wet.

Habitat: Open areas on alluvial plains, flats, gentle slopes, benches above washes, meadows, disturbed areas, in grassland, scrub, chaparral, mixed forest

Bloom period: Apr-Aug

Elevation: 90-2400 m

Bioregions: s SNF, SW (exc ChI), w D

California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara

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