Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta
Herniaria
Photo: parent species Herniaria hirsuta · (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta (Herniaria) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by flower size and style characteristics.
Herniaria is a naturalized annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, northern Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, southern Great Basin, and Peninsular Ranges in sandy flats, roadsides, and woodland habitats at elevations of 200 to 1,750 meters. Flowering from spring through fall, this plant produces tiny greenish-white flowers less than 1.2 millimeters long in small clusters of 3 to 6 blooms. Growing with low-spreading stems 4 to 15 centimeters long, it forms dense, mat-like ground cover. Its small leaves are densely hairy, creating a soft, compact appearance across the ground. The seeds are minute, measuring just 0.6 to 0.7 millimeters in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species - distinguished by flower size and style characteristics
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy flats, roadsides, woodland
Elevation: 200-1750 m
California counties: Tehama, Nevada, Butte, Plumas, Madera, San Diego, Shasta, Tuolumne, Mariposa
Outside California: Massachusetts, Maryland, native to southern Europe, northern Africa, southwestern Asia
Bloom period
Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta blooms Spring-fall.
How to tell it apart
vs Polycarpon: Herniaria has long hooked hairs and blunt sepals; Polycarpon has small white petals.; vs Paronychia: Herniaria sepals are blunt and green-edged; Paronychia has bristle-tipped white-edged sepals.; vs Cardionema: Herniaria lacks woolly coating; Cardionema is densely fuzzy-woolly.; vs Achyronychia: Herniaria has narrow blunt sepals; Achyronychia has broad rounded sepals.; vs Scopulophila: Herniaria is annual mat; Scopulophila is perennial with woolly base cushion.
Frequently asked questions
Is Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta native to California?
No. Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta bloom?
Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta blooms Spring-fall.
Where in California does Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta grow?
Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta occurs in Tehama, Nevada, Butte, Plumas, Madera, San Diego, Shasta, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of 200-1750 m.
What plant family does Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta belong to?
Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Herniaria.
What habitat does Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta grow in?
Herniaria hirsuta var. hirsuta grows in Sandy flats, roadsides, woodland.
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.