Horkelia cuneata
Wedge leaf horkelia
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Horkelia cuneata (Wedge leaf horkelia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family.
Wedge leaf horkelia is a California native perennial found in coastal and western mountain ranges in coastal scrub and chaparral habitats. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in small clusters with petals 4 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with matted green or grayish stems 20 to 70 centimeters tall, it forms a low, spreading ground cover. Its compound leaves feature 5 to 12 leaflets on each side, each approximately 10 to 25 millimeters long with single, fine teeth along the edges, and range from nearly glabrous to densely hairy. The fruit is small, measuring 1.5 to 1.8 millimeters in length.
Habitat and range
California counties: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura
How to tell it apart
vs Drymocallis: Horkelia has exactly 10 stamens and white-pink flowers; Drymocallis has 20+ stamens and yellow-white flowers.; vs Erodium: Horkelia has pinnate leaves and rose-family flowers; Erodium has lobed/divided leaves and long-beaked fruits.; vs Phacelia: Horkelia has rose-family flowers with separate petals; Phacelia has bell-shaped fused corollas with protruding stamens.; vs Potentilla: Horkelia has exactly 10 stamens and flattened filaments; Potentilla has 20+ stamens and thread-like filaments.; vs Ivesia: Horkelia has flat leaves with 2-15 separated leaflets; Ivesia has cylindrical bottlebrush leaves with overlapping leaflets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Horkelia cuneata native to California?
Yes. Horkelia cuneata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Horkelia cuneata grow?
Horkelia cuneata occurs in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Riverside and other counties.
What plant family does Horkelia cuneata belong to?
Horkelia cuneata is in the Rosaceae family, genus Horkelia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Horkelia cuneata var. cuneata — Wedge leaved horkelia
- Horkelia cuneata var. puberula — Mesa horkelia
- Horkelia cuneata var. sericea — Kellogg's horkelia
- Horkelia daucifolia — Carrot leafed horkelia
- Horkelia daucifolia var. daucifolia — Carrot leafed horkelia
- Horkelia daucifolia var. indicta — Jepson's horkelia
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.