Gilia capitata subsp. pacifica
Pacific gilia, Pacific Gilia
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Pacific gilia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in northern Coast Ranges, western Klamath Ranges, and northern Coast in grasslands, steep slopes, ravines, open flats, and coastal bluffs at elevations generally below 400 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pale to bright blue-violet flowers in dense clusters up to 40 millimeters wide with delicate linear corolla lobes. Growing with slender stems 25 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops an intricate branching structure. Its distinctive leaves are 2-pinnate-lobed with narrow axis and lobes approximately 1 millimeter wide. The small spheric fruits are 3 to 5.2 millimeters long, with seeds ranging from 6 to 25 per plant.
Habitat: Steep slopes, ravines, open flats, or coastal bluffs, grassland, dunes
Bloom period: May-Aug
Elevation: generally < 400(761) m
Bioregions: n&c NCo, NCoRO, w KR
California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Sonoma, Monterey
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.