Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana
(c) Cliff Hutson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family.
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana is a California native annual found in northern and central Sierra Nevada on open, rocky slopes at elevations of 900 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pale blue-violet to white flowers in compact heads 12 to 25 millimeters wide. Growing with erect stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall, it has stems leafy below the middle and branching somewhat. Its leaves form an open basal rosette, intricately divided into 1 to 2 pinnate lobes. The small flowers have linear corolla lobes approximately 1 millimeter wide, with a hairy calyx featuring erect to recurved acute lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated - 0 sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, rocky slopes
Elevation: 900-2100 m
California counties: El Dorado, Placer, Amador, Tuolumne, Sierra, Plumas, Butte, Mariposa, Tulare, Colusa, Nevada, Lassen, Calaveras, Fresno, Stanislaus
Bloom period
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana blooms May-Aug.
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 capitata subsp. mediomontana native to California?
Yes. Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana bloom?
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana grow?
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana occurs in El Dorado, Placer, Amador, Tuolumne, Sierra, Plumas, Butte, Mariposa and other counties, at elevations of 900-2100 m.
What plant family does Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana belong to?
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana grow in?
Gilia capitata subsp. mediomontana grows in Open, rocky slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.