Gymnosteris parvula
Small flowered gymnosteris
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native
Small flowered gymnosteris is a California native annual found in northern and central Sierra Nevada and Great Basin areas in gravelly and sandy meadows and wet scrub depressions at elevations of 2,400 to 3,700 meters. Flowering from May to June, this delicate plant produces white to pink-tinged flowers less than 7 millimeters long with slender, acuminate lobes. Growing with diminutive stems less than 7 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in alpine and subalpine environments. Its small lanceolate to ovate bracts range from 2 to 13 millimeters long and are typically glabrous. The plant's tiny calyx measures less than 4 millimeters, complementing its subtle, miniature floral structure.
Habitat: Gravelly, sandy areas, generally in meadows or wet depressions in scrub
Bloom period: May-Jun
Elevation: 2400-3700 m
Bioregions: n&c SNH, GB
California counties: Mono, Siskiyou, Inyo, Lassen, Nevada, Modoc, Sierra
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.