Gilia modocensis
Modoc gilia
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia modocensis (Modoc gilia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by . Key features: strap-shaped clasping cauline leaves, black glands on pedicels.
Modoc gilia is a California native annual herb found in the southern Sierra Nevada Cascade Ranges, Tehachapi Mountains, Great Basin, and Desert Mountains in open, rocky areas and pinyon-juniper woodland at elevations of 400 to 2,450 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces purple and lavender flowers with yellow throats 7 to 11 millimeters long, showing delicate color variations. Growing 10 to 34 centimeters tall with several spreading branches that are tufted-woolly and sometimes glandular near the base, it develops a distinctive tufted appearance. Its basal leaves form a rosette with strap-shaped pinnate-lobed leaves, featuring short spreading lobes that are toothed, while cauline leaves are deeply lobed and clasping. The fruit is widely ovoid, measuring 4 to 6.5 millimeters long and containing 15 to 30 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 43 sympatric species. Key features: strap-shaped clasping cauline leaves, black glands on pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, rocky areas, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 400-2450 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Inyo, Mono, Ventura, Lassen, Modoc, Tulare, Santa Barbara, El Dorado, Nevada, Siskiyou, Plumas, San Diego, Imperial
Outside California: Oregon, Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Gilia modocensis 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 modocensis native to California?
Yes. Gilia modocensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia modocensis bloom?
Gilia modocensis blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Gilia modocensis grow?
Gilia modocensis occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Inyo, Mono, Ventura, Lassen and other counties, at elevations of 400-2450 m.
What plant family does Gilia modocensis belong to?
Gilia modocensis is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia modocensis grow in?
Gilia modocensis grows in Open, rocky areas, pinyon/juniper woodland.
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.