Eriastrum virgatum

Wand woolly-star, virgate eriastrum

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Wand woolly-star is a California native annual found in central coastal and northern southern coastal ranges of Monterey and San Benito counties in floodplains, scrub, chaparral, and woodland at elevations of 9 to 550 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white to pale yellowish flowers with bright blue lobes, sometimes featuring a darker blue or purplish spot at the base, arranged in woolly heads with 3 to 20 flowers. Growing 3 to 40 centimeters tall with an erect, wand-like form that is occasionally branched from the base or above, its stems are lightly woolly. Its leaves range 15 to 50 millimeters long, lightly woolly, and can be entire or have 3 linear to thread-like lobes. The plant produces small capsules 4 to 5.5 millimeters long, containing 2 to 4 gray-brown seeds.

Habitat: Floodplains, hillsides, old dunes, in scrub, chaparral, or woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 9-550 m

Bioregions: CCo, n SCoR (Monterey, San Benito cos.).

California counties: Monterey, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Benito, San Diego

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