Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis
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Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by . Key features: yellow-green, suberect woolly branches, tube > throat.
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis is a California native annual found in southern California coastal regions, southern Channel Islands, southern San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, and western desert areas in flats at elevations of 100 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from March to August, this plant produces flowers with a distinctive white corolla tube streaked with purple, yellow throat, and blue lobes, creating a striking multicolored effect. Growing with yellow-green branches that are tufted and woolly-hairy, the plant forms compact, intricate clusters. Its leaves are tufted and woolly, ranging from entire to slightly lobed, giving the plant a soft, textured appearance. The fruit is small and spherical, measuring 3.8 to 4.5 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 33 sympatric species. Key features: yellow-green, suberect woolly branches, tube > throat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Flats
Elevation: 100-2500 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Inyo, Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis blooms Mar-Aug.
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. exilis native to California?
Yes. Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis bloom?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis blooms Mar-Aug.
Where in California does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis grow?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Inyo, Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of 100-2500 m.
What plant family does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis belong to?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis grow in?
Gilia ochroleuca subsp. exilis 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.