Eriastrum signatum
Spotted woolly-star
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eriastrum signatum (Spotted woolly-star) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by dark maroon spots on petal bases with yellow throat.
Spotted woolly-star is a California native annual found in the Shasta Valley, southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and eastern Sierra Nevada in grassland, desert scrub, chaparral, and woodland habitats at elevations of 915 to 2,340 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces distinctive flowers with white or slightly purplish tubes and blue to lavender or light pink to white petals, often featuring a dark maroon-colored irregular spot near the base. Growing 2 to 45 centimeters tall with simple or branching stems that are woolly when young and becoming less hairy with age, it develops delicate foliage with leaves 7 to 34 millimeters long. Its leaves are woolly, entire to 3-lobed, with linear-shaped lobes that become less hairy over time. The plant produces small capsules about 6 millimeters long, containing 1 to 3 light gray-brown seeds that become slimy when wet.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; diagnostic dark maroon spots on petal bases with yellow throat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Hillsides, flats, benches above washes, dry washes, ditches, disturbed areas; in grassland, desert scrub, chaparral, arid woodland, mixed forest
Elevation: 915-2340(2500) m
California counties: San Bernardino, Ventura, Kern, Mono, Los Angeles, Lassen, Plumas, Inyo, Tulare, Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, Alpine, El Dorado, Sierra, Nevada, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada, Utah
Bloom period
Eriastrum signatum blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Navarretia: Eriastrum has fluffy white woolly hairs; Navarretia has spine-tipped bracts and leaves without woolly hairs.; vs Gilia: Eriastrum flower clusters are densely woolly-hairy; Gilia flower clusters lack woolly hairs.; vs Loeseliastrum: Eriastrum has woolly tufted hairs and radial flowers; Loeseliastrum has simple hairs and bilateral flowers.; vs Langloisia: Eriastrum has woolly tufted white hairs; Langloisia has stiff branched bristly hairs.; vs Petalonyx: Eriastrum has opposite lobed leaves in Polemoniaceae; Petalonyx has alternate simple leaves in Loasaceae.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriastrum signatum native to California?
Yes. Eriastrum signatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriastrum signatum bloom?
Eriastrum signatum blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Eriastrum signatum grow?
Eriastrum signatum occurs in San Bernardino, Ventura, Kern, Mono, Los Angeles, Lassen, Plumas, Inyo and other counties, at elevations of 915-2340(2500) m.
What plant family does Eriastrum signatum belong to?
Eriastrum signatum is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Eriastrum.
What habitat does Eriastrum signatum grow in?
Eriastrum signatum grows in Hillsides, flats, benches above washes, dry washes, ditches, disturbed areas; in grassland, desert scrub, chaparral, arid woodland, mixed forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.