Ipomopsis congesta

Ball headed gilia

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Ball headed gilia is a California native perennial found in rocky and open habitats across California's mountain and foothill regions. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces delicate white and yellow flowers with white lobes and yellow tube, clustered in dense terminal head-like inflorescences. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall that are glabrous or densely puberulent, the plant has a distinctive compact form. Its leaves range from 1 to 4 centimeters long, generally hairy and either entire or with pinnate to palmate lobes, giving the plant a soft, textured appearance. Its flower stamens are uniquely exserted and attached at a single level, creating an elegant botanical profile.

California counties: Lassen, Placer, Alpine, Nevada, Mono, Siskiyou, Shasta, Sierra, Inyo, Plumas, Modoc, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Amador

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