Gilia cana subsp. cana
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native
Gilia cana subsp. cana is a California native annual found in central and eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, northern Sierra Eastern Edge, and eastern Mojave Desert on rocky, sandy, or granitic slopes at elevations of 1,800 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small white to pale lavender flowers with narrow throats about 14 to 26 millimeters long. Growing with delicate stems that are tufted and woolly-hairy, it forms dense, matted clusters in high-elevation rocky terrain. Its basal leaves are characteristically tufted, with a woolly and matted appearance that helps the plant retain moisture in its harsh mountain habitats. The plant produces small, narrowly ovoid fruits 3 to 5 millimeters long, containing 6 to 12 seeds.
Habitat: Rocky, sandy, or granitic slopes
Bloom period: Jun-Aug
Elevation: 1800-3100 m
Bioregions: c&s SNH (e slope), n SNE, DMoj.
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, Mono, Los Angeles
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.