Gilia leptantha
Fineflowered gilia
(c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Hilton · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia leptantha (Fineflowered gilia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family.
Fineflowered gilia is a California native annual found in open grasslands and dry slopes, with specific location and elevation details not provided in the source data. Flowering from late spring to summer, this plant produces delicate flowers with pink to lavender petals and a yellow or white throat, with flower corollas ranging from 9 to 23 millimeters long. Growing with spreading or erect stems that are tufted-woolly-hairy below the middle and glandular above, the plant reaches a modest height. Its basal leaves form a rosette with finely divided, 1-pinnate lobes that are tufted-woolly-hairy, featuring linear leaf axes with short-pointed or acuminate teeth on both sides. The plant's compact flower clusters contain 2 to 6 blossoms with unequal pedicels, creating an intricate and delicate botanical display.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated - no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Tulare, Los Angeles
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 leptantha native to California?
Yes. Gilia leptantha is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Gilia leptantha grow?
Gilia leptantha occurs in Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Tulare, Los Angeles.
What plant family does Gilia leptantha belong to?
Gilia leptantha is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
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.