Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata
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Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by . Key features: gray-green, glaucous stems, bicolored throat, paired thread-like pedicels.
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern Coast Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and western Mojave Desert on flats at elevations of 240 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces delicate flowers in pale tones with a corolla 8 to 14 millimeters long. Growing with gray-green stems that have lower branches spreading and glaucous below the flowering area, it develops a distinctive tufted appearance. Its leaves are intricately divided, typically 1 to 2 times pinnate with lobes 1 to 15 millimeters long, creating a soft, woolly-textured foliage. The fruit is small and spherical, measuring 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 43 sympatric species. Key features: gray-green, glaucous stems, bicolored throat, paired thread-like pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Flats
Elevation: 240-2600 m
Bloom period
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata blooms Mar-Jul.
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 ochroleuca subsp. bizonata native to California?
Yes. Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata bloom?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata blooms Mar-Jul.
What plant family does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata belong to?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata grow in?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. bizonata grows in Common. 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.