Johnstonella inaequata
Panamint johnstonella
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Johnstonella inaequata (Panamint johnstonella) is a native California annual in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by many scattered leaves and 2-ranked flowers help distinguish from similar annuals.
Panamint johnstonella is a California native annual found in eastern desert regions in gravelly to clay soils, rocky slopes, and creosote-bush scrub at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow-appendaged flowers with corolla limbs 1.5 to 4 millimeters in diameter. Growing 5 to 40 centimeters tall with erect stems that are rough-hairy and occasionally branching from the base, it has a distinctive reddish-purple root. Its leaves are narrow-oblanceolate to linear, 1.5 to 4.5 centimeters long, covered in strigose hairs with bulbous-based bristles especially on the undersides. The fruit consists of four nutlets, with one slightly larger than the others, brown and finely pale tubercled, measuring 1.3 to 1.7 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; many scattered leaves and 2-ranked flowers help distinguish from similar annuals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly to clay soils, rocky slopes, washes, creosote-bush scrub, desert woodland
Elevation: < 1400 m
California counties: Inyo, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, San Benito
Outside California: to southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona
Bloom period
Johnstonella inaequata blooms Mar-May.
Frequently asked questions
Is Johnstonella inaequata native to California?
Yes. Johnstonella inaequata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Johnstonella inaequata bloom?
Johnstonella inaequata blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Johnstonella inaequata grow?
Johnstonella inaequata occurs in Inyo, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, San Benito, at elevations of < 1400 m.
What plant family does Johnstonella inaequata belong to?
Johnstonella inaequata is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Johnstonella.
What habitat does Johnstonella inaequata grow in?
Johnstonella inaequata grows in Gravelly to clay soils, rocky slopes, washes, creosote-bush scrub, desert woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Johnstonella racemosa — Shrubby johnstonella
- Johnstonella sp.
- Johnstonella angelica — Angelic johnstonella
- Johnstonella angustifolia — Narrow-leaved johnstonella
- Johnstonella costata — Ribbed johnstonella
- Johnstonella holoptera — Winged johnstonella
- Lappula redowskii — Redowski's stickseed
- Lappula redowskii var. cupulata — Crowned stickseed
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.