Gilia millefoliata

Dark-eyed gilia, Dark-Eyed Gilia

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Dark-eyed gilia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in northern coastal and northern central coastal bioregions in stabilized coastal dunes at elevations below 10 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces pale yellow flowers with blue-white lobes and distinctive purple throat spots in small clusters of 2 to 6 blooms. Growing 8 to 30 centimeters tall with long-decumbent branches and a densely glandular habit that produces a skunk-like odor, it develops a compact form. Its leaves are somewhat fleshy, with basal rosette leaves that are 1 to 2 times pinnately lobed and upper leaves that are shorter and palmate, with lobes 2 to 5 millimeters long. The fruit is narrowly ovoid to ellipsoid, measuring 7 to 9 millimeters long and containing 25 to 50 seeds.

Habitat: Stabilized coastal dunes

Bloom period: Mar-Jul

Elevation: < 10 m

Bioregions: NCo, n CCo

California counties: Humboldt, Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Del Norte, San Francisco, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.