Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum
Alpine ivesia
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum (Alpine ivesia) is a native California perennial in the Rosaceae family, recognized by red stems and red-margined anthers diagnostic.
Alpine ivesia is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges (Scott Mountains, Mount Eddy), northern and central Sierra Nevada (Sonora Pass, Alpine, Tuolumne counties), Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in open, dry, rocky ridges and slopes at elevations of 1,800 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small white flowers with red-margined anthers. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems that are dark reddish in color, it spreads low across rocky terrain. Its leaves are finely divided, forming delicate, feathery clusters that help the plant blend into its alpine and subalpine habitats. The compact growth habit allows this ivesia to thrive in harsh, exposed mountain environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species; red stems and red-margined anthers diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, dry, rocky ridges, slopes
Elevation: 1800-3500 m
California counties: Mono, Siskiyou, Modoc, Alpine
Outside California: to Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum blooms Jun-Aug.
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 gordonii var. ursinorum native to California?
Yes. Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum bloom?
Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum grow?
Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum occurs in Mono, Siskiyou, Modoc, Alpine, at elevations of 1800-3500 m.
What plant family does Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum belong to?
Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum is in the Rosaceae family, genus Ivesia.
What habitat does Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum grow in?
Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum grows in Open, dry, rocky ridges, slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.