Horkelia tularensis

Kern plateau horkelia, Kern Plateau Horkelia

Family: Rosaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Kern plateau horkelia is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains near Bald Mountain in Tulare County on dry, rocky balds and flats at elevations of 2,350 to 2,850 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers in small clusters with 3 to 15 blossoms. Growing as a low-spreading, grayish plant less than 25 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive mat-like growth habit with dense, compact stems. Its leaves are complex, with 4 to 6 leaflets on each side, each leaflet divided into 5 to 8 narrow, oblanceolate lobes and covered in dense hairs. The plant's compact, intricate structure and gray-green coloration help it blend into rocky, high-elevation mountain landscapes.

Habitat: Dry, rocky balds, flats

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 2350-2850 m

Bioregions: s SNH (Bald Mtn area, Tulare Co.).

California counties: Tulare

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