Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri
Santa lucia gilia
(c) Henrik Kibak, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Henrik Kibak · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri (Santa lucia gilia) is a native California annual in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Santa lucia gilia is a California native annual found in the central coast ranges on serpentine or sandstone outcrops, chaparral, and Sargent cypress forest at elevations of 686 to 1,220 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces dark purple flowers with pink to dark purple lobes, revealing a white-based corolla and a funnel-shaped tube that extends well beyond the calyx. Growing with erect or ascending stems 3 to 32 centimeters tall, the plant has a distinctive woolly-hairy lower stem and glandular-hairy upper portions. Its basal leaves form a rosette with margins ranging from entire to pinnately lobed, covered in tufted woolly hairs, with proximal leaves crowded and featuring narrow, entire lobes. The plant's unique dark purple and white corolla, combined with its serpentine habitat adaptation, makes it a striking example of California's diverse endemic flora.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Serpentine or sandstone outcrops, chaparral, Sargent cypress forest
Elevation: 686-1220 m
Bloom period
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri blooms Apr-May.
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. docmilleri native to California?
Yes. Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri bloom?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri blooms Apr-May.
What plant family does Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri belong to?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri grow in?
Gilia tenuiflora subsp. docmilleri grows in Serpentine or sandstone outcrops, chaparral, Sargent cypress forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.