Gruvelia pusilla

Little gruvelia

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Little gruvelia is a California native annual herb found in grassland, chaparral, and woodland habitats across dry, semi-barren sites at elevations of 100 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate, funnel-shaped corollas. Growing with ascending to erect stems 3 to 20 centimeters tall, often branching near the base, it has proximal leaves that are opposite and fused at the base while distal leaves become alternate. Its leaves transition from paired at the bottom to alternating toward the stem tips, creating a distinctive growth pattern. The fruit consists of four nutlets arranged in a cross-shaped pattern, each nutlet diamond-shaped and approximately 1.5 to 3 millimeters long.

Habitat: Dry, semi-barren sites in grassland, chaparral, woodland, roadsides

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 100-1800 m

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.