Gayophytum diffusum subsp. diffusum

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Spreading groundcover is a California native annual found in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, northern California Ranges, Warner Mountains, and San Bernardino Mountains in open montane forest and sagebrush scrub at elevations of 800 to 3,700 meters. Flowering from May to September, this delicate plant produces small white to pale pink flowers with petals 3 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with multiple branching stems that spread across the ground, the plant reaches 10 to 30 centimeters in width. Its leaves are small and narrowly shaped, arranged alternately along the stems with a sparse, open structure. The plant's distinctive stigma extends beyond its anthers, creating a unique profile in its mountain and scrubland habitats.

Habitat: Uncommon in California. Open montane forest, sagebrush scrub

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 800-3700 m

Bioregions: CaR, n SNH (Plumas Co.), SnBr, Wrn

California counties: San Bernardino, Plumas, Tehama, Tulare, Alpine, Kern, Modoc, Fresno, Madera, Nevada, Tuolumne, Lassen, Los Angeles, Colusa, Sierra, Siskiyou, Shasta, San Benito, El Dorado

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