Ivesia santolinoides
Mousetail ivesia
(c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Hilton · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Ivesia santolinoides (Mousetail ivesia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by mousetail leaves with 60-80 leaflets per side and white flowers.
Mousetail ivesia is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and San Jacinto Mountains on bare granite ledges and sandy places at elevations of 1,500 to 3,600 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces delicate white flowers 5 to 8 millimeters wide in open clusters with up to 200 individual blooms. Growing with erect silvery stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms a dense, tufted plant with a branching caudex. Its distinctive leaves are mousetail-like, featuring 60 to 80 tiny leaflet lobes on each side, each less than 1.5 millimeters long and ranging from obovate to round. The fruit is approximately 2 millimeters long, with a smooth surface mottled in gray-brown.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 9 species; diagnostic mousetail leaves with 60-80 leaflets per side and white flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Bare places, sandy, granite ledges
Elevation: 1500-3600 m
California counties: Fresno, Mariposa, Kern, Inyo, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono, Madera, San Bernardino, Alpine, Tulare, Tuolumne, Riverside, Los Angeles, Ventura, Amador
Bloom period
Ivesia santolinoides blooms Jun-Sep.
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 santolinoides native to California?
Yes. Ivesia santolinoides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ivesia santolinoides bloom?
Ivesia santolinoides blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Ivesia santolinoides grow?
Ivesia santolinoides occurs in Fresno, Mariposa, Kern, Inyo, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono, Madera and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3600 m.
What plant family does Ivesia santolinoides belong to?
Ivesia santolinoides is in the Rosaceae family, genus Ivesia.
What habitat does Ivesia santolinoides grow in?
Ivesia santolinoides grows in Bare places, sandy, granite ledges.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.