Gilia inconspicua
Shy gilia
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia inconspicua (Shy gilia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by . Key features: yellow throat 3-4× longer than lobes, narrow leaf segments.
Shy gilia is a California native annual found in the Great Basin in rocky or sandy sagebrush slopes and washes at elevations of 1,200 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces lavender flowers with a purple spot at the base or in the throat, approximately 6 to 11 millimeters long. Growing with ascending or spreading stems 8 to 32 centimeters tall, it forms tufted clusters with branches that are woolly-hairy below the flower cluster and black-glandular above. Its basal leaves form a rosette with 1-pinnate lobes 2 to 10 millimeters long, linear or rounded, and tufted-woolly hairy. The fruit is an oblong-ovoid capsule 5 to 8 millimeters long with detaching seed valves.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species. Key features: yellow throat 3-4× longer than lobes, narrow leaf segments
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky or sandy sagebrush slopes, washes
Elevation: 1200-2300 m
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Gilia inconspicua 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 inconspicua native to California?
Yes. Gilia inconspicua is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia inconspicua bloom?
Gilia inconspicua blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Gilia inconspicua belong to?
Gilia inconspicua is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia inconspicua grow in?
Gilia inconspicua grows in Rocky or sandy sagebrush slopes, washes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.