Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis
Trumpet-throated gilia, Trumpet-Throated Gilia
(c) Henrik Kibak, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Henrik Kibak · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis (Trumpet-throated gilia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by key diagnostic is the wide trumpet-like throat.
Trumpet-throated gilia is a California native annual found in south-central coastal ranges in sandy soil of dry creeks, floodplains, and slopes at elevations of 39 to 900 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces showy flowers with a distinctive purple-throated corolla 13 to 22 millimeters long, featuring a wide throat 3.7 to 5 millimeters across. Growing with stout stems 16 to 24 centimeters tall, the plant can be glabrous or have tufted woolly hairs near the base with glandular upper portions. Its flower clusters are dense and notable, with a calyx 4 to 5.8 millimeters long that is tufted-woolly or slightly glandular. The small fruit measures 5 to 8 millimeters long and remains shorter than the plant's calyx.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; key diagnostic is the wide trumpet-like throat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy soil of dry creeks, floodplains, slopes
Elevation: 39-900 m
Bloom period
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis blooms Mar-Apr.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis native to California?
Yes. Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis bloom?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis blooms Mar-Apr.
What plant family does Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis belong to?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
Is Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis rare or endangered?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis grow in?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. amplifaucalis grows in Sandy soil of dry creeks, floodplains, slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. arenaria — Monterey gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri — Santa lucia gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. hoffmannii — Hoffmann's slender-flowered gilia
- Gilia tenuiflora subsp. tenuiflora — Slender-flowered gilia
- Gilia transmontana — Transmontane gilia
- Gilia tricolor — Bird's-eye gilia
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.