Ivesia callida
Tahquitz ivesia, Tahquitz Ivesia
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3
Ivesia callida (Tahquitz ivesia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by geographic isolation from most congeners.
Tahquitz ivesia is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the San Jacinto Mountains in granite crevices at elevations around 2,500 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces delicate white flowers approximately 7 to 10 millimeters wide with white obovate petals. Growing with green, matted stems 2 to 15 centimeters long that hang or spread across rocky surfaces, it develops a branched caudex. Its leaves feature approximately 6 leaflets per side, with small oblanceolate to elliptic lobes 2 to 7 millimeters long, emerging from slightly hairy sheathing bases. The plant forms compact clusters with 1 to 10 flowers, with pedicels that curve distinctively in fruit.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; geographic isolation from most congeners
Habitat and range
Habitat: Granite crevices
Elevation: +- 2500 m.
Bloom period
Ivesia callida blooms Jul-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Achillea: Ivesia has rose-like flowers with separate petals; Achillea has composite flower heads with ray and disk flowers.; vs Potentilla: Ivesia has cylindrical bottlebrush leaves with 4-80 tiny leaflets per side; Potentilla has flat leaves with spread-out leaflets.; vs Horkelia: Ivesia has cylindrical leaves with overlapping leaflets; Horkelia has flat leaves with 2-15 distinct, separated leaflets.; vs Eremogone: Ivesia has compound bottlebrush leaves; Eremogone has simple, needle-like or thread-like leaves.; vs Cryptantha: Ivesia has rose-family flowers with separate petals; Cryptantha has fused tubular corollas typical of borages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ivesia callida native to California?
Yes. Ivesia callida is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ivesia callida bloom?
Ivesia callida blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Ivesia callida belong to?
Ivesia callida is in the Rosaceae family, genus Ivesia.
Is Ivesia callida rare or endangered?
Ivesia callida carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, state rank S1.
What habitat does Ivesia callida grow in?
Ivesia callida grows in Granite crevices.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.