Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana
(c) Cliff Hutson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by recurved calyx lobes and foothill habitat.
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana is a California native annual found in the northern Sierra Nevada Foothills, central Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, and northern San Joaquin Valley on open, rocky slopes at elevations of 60 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale blue-violet flowers in compact heads 10 to 20 millimeters wide with delicate oblong corolla lobes. Growing with slender stems 30 to 90 centimeters tall, which are either smooth or glandular in texture. Its leaves are intricately divided, featuring 1 to 2 levels of pinnate lobing with fine, delicate segments. The fruit is a small spherical to ovoid capsule 3 to 4.5 millimeters long, contained within a densely hairy calyx.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species - distinguished by recurved calyx lobes and foothill habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, rocky slopes
Elevation: 60-2000 m
California counties: Tulare, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Amador, Nevada, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Sacramento, Tehama, Sutter, Placer, Lake, Yuba, Plumas, Fresno, Sierra, Stanislaus, Madera, San Joaquin
Bloom period
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana blooms Apr-Jun.
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. pedemontana native to California?
Yes. Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana bloom?
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana grow?
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana occurs in Tulare, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Amador, Nevada, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 60-2000 m.
What plant family does Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana belong to?
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana grow in?
Gilia capitata subsp. pedemontana 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.