Gilia austro-occidentalis
Southwestern gilia
(c) Adam J. Searcy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Adam J. Searcy · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Gilia austro-occidentalis (Southwestern gilia) is a native California annual in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by purple tube, yellow throat, and spotted petals.
Southwestern gilia is a California native annual found in southern Coast Ranges, southern San Joaquin Valley, and western Transverse Ranges in sandy interior and coastal valley flats at elevations of 600 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces lavender flowers with purple throats and a yellow corolla center, featuring delicate blooms 6 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with spreading branches 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms tufted clusters with woolly-hairy stems near the base and glandular hairs above. Its basal leaves form a rosette with fine 1-pinnate lobes, featuring linear segments 1 to 6 millimeters long that spread outward from a central axis. The fruit develops as a widely ovoid spherical structure approximately 3 to 4 millimeters long, containing 24 to 30 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species - distinguished by purple tube, yellow throat, and spotted petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy flats, interior, coastal valleys
Elevation: 600-1300 m
Bloom period
Gilia austro-occidentalis blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Saltugilia: Gilia has white cobwebby or sharply bent hairs; Saltugilia has translucent, barely glandular hairs.; vs Navarretia: Gilia has cobwebby/bent hairs; Navarretia has very short uniform glandular hairs and spiny flower heads.; vs Phacelia: Gilia has white cobwebby hairs; Phacelia has coiled flower clusters and straight bristly hairs.; vs Allophyllum: Gilia has white cobwebby or bent hairs; Allophyllum has long fuzzy glandular hairs.; vs Aliciella: Gilia has funnel-shaped flowers; Aliciella has wheel-shaped flowers with spreading lobes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gilia austro-occidentalis native to California?
Yes. Gilia austro-occidentalis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia austro-occidentalis bloom?
Gilia austro-occidentalis blooms Mar-May.
What plant family does Gilia austro-occidentalis belong to?
Gilia austro-occidentalis is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia austro-occidentalis grow in?
Gilia austro-occidentalis grows in Sandy flats, interior, coastal valleys.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.