Gilia transmontana
Transmontane gilia
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Gilia transmontana (Transmontane gilia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by key diagnostic is the red- or maroon-streaked flower tube.
Transmontane gilia is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Castaic Range, northern Transverse Ranges, southeastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert on rocky or sandy desert slopes and washes at elevations of 480 to 2,250 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces delicate flowers with red or maroon-streaked tubes, lower yellow throats, and white or lavender lobes marked with purple spots near their bases. Growing with erect to spreading branches 10 to 32 centimeters tall and covered with woolly hairs below the middle, it forms a distinctive tufted appearance. Its basal leaves form a rosette with one-pinnate lobes, each linear lobe 3 to 11 millimeters long, spreading and sometimes slightly toothed. The fruit is an ovoid capsule 5 to 6 millimeters long with pointed or rounded tips, containing 12 to 21 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 36 sympatric species; key diagnostic is the red- or maroon-streaked flower tube
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky or sandy desert slopes, washes
Elevation: 480-2250 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Mono, San Diego, Los Angeles
Outside California: to Utah
Bloom period
Gilia transmontana blooms Mar-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 transmontana native to California?
Yes. Gilia transmontana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gilia transmontana bloom?
Gilia transmontana blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Gilia transmontana grow?
Gilia transmontana occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Mono, San Diego, Los Angeles, at elevations of 480-2250 m.
What plant family does Gilia transmontana belong to?
Gilia transmontana is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Gilia.
What habitat does Gilia transmontana grow in?
Gilia transmontana grows in Rocky or sandy desert slopes, washes.
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.