Horkelia fusca var. brownii
Tawny horkelia
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Horkelia fusca var. brownii (Tawny horkelia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by gray-hairy narrow wedge-shaped leaflets.
Tawny horkelia is a California native perennial found in the northern California Mountains and Mountains and Modoc Plateau in dry openings within forest and chaparral, especially on pumice at elevations of 950 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces delicate white flowers in small clusters of 5 to 20 blooms. Growing with stems bearing dense, grayish hairs and reaching moderate heights, it develops compact clusters of small flowers. Its leaves are generally 4 to 12 centimeters long, composed of 3 to 7 narrow wedge-shaped leaflets on each side, with each leaflet 5 to 15 millimeters long and bearing 4 to 6 teeth along its lower quarter to half. The fruit measures 1 to 1.2 millimeters long, contributing to this plant's subtle and intricate botanical structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; key features are gray-hairy narrow wedge-shaped leaflets
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry openings in forest and chaparral, especially on pumice
Elevation: 950-2000 m
Bloom period
Horkelia fusca var. brownii blooms May-Aug.
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 fusca var. brownii native to California?
Yes. Horkelia fusca var. brownii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Horkelia fusca var. brownii bloom?
Horkelia fusca var. brownii blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Horkelia fusca var. brownii belong to?
Horkelia fusca var. brownii is in the Rosaceae family, genus Horkelia.
What habitat does Horkelia fusca var. brownii grow in?
Horkelia fusca var. brownii grows in dry openings in forest and chaparral, especially on pumice.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.