Gilia capitata subsp. staminea
(c) Cliff Hutson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by broad petals and sandy habitat.
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea is a California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges Interior, Great Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and Southern California coastal regions in sandhills and flats at elevations of 100 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pale blue-violet flowers in dense heads approximately 20 to 30 millimeters wide with distinctive lobes about 3 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall that are glabrous or glandular, it develops an open basal rosette. Its leaves are typically 1-pinnate-lobed, forming delicate, finely divided foliage. The fruit is ovoid, 3.7 to 5 millimeters long, and contained within a hairy calyx with recurved, acuminate lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species - distinguished by broad petals and sandy habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandhills, flats
Elevation: 100-1300 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Merced, Contra Costa, Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin, San Benito, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Solano, Monterey, Stanislaus, Madera, Fresno, Lake, Yolo, San Luis Obispo, Glenn, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sutter, Nevada, Mariposa, Sacramento
Outside California: Arizona
Bloom period
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea blooms Mar-May.
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. staminea native to California?
Yes. Gilia capitata subsp. staminea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia capitata subsp. staminea bloom?
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Gilia capitata subsp. staminea grow?
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea occurs in Santa Cruz, Merced, Contra Costa, Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin, San Benito, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 100-1300 m.
What plant family does Gilia capitata subsp. staminea belong to?
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia capitata subsp. staminea grow in?
Gilia capitata subsp. staminea grows in Sandhills, flats.
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.