Gilia capitata subsp. abrotanifolia

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Gilia capitata subsp. abrotanifolia is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, central Sierra Nevada Foothills, Tehachapi, southern Coast Ranges, Channel Islands, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges on sandy, loamy slopes at elevations generally below 1,900 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces pale blue-violet or white flowers in clusters 17 to 35 millimeters wide with 25 to 50 individual blossoms. Growing with glabrous to glandular stems 20 to 80 centimeters tall, it has an open, branching structure. Its delicate leaves are 1 to 2 times pinnately lobed, creating a feathery, intricate foliage pattern. The small fruit is ovoid to spheric, measuring 2.5 to 4.7 millimeters long and detaching in distinctive valves.

Habitat: Sandy, loamy slopes

Bloom period: Mar-Jul

Elevation: generally < 1900(3018) m

Bioregions: s SN, c SNF, Teh, SCoR, ChI, TR, PR

California counties: Fresno, Kern, Ventura, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Orange, Santa Barbara, Madera, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Colusa, Monterey, Shasta

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