Leptosiphon ambiguus

Serpentine leptosiphon

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Serpentine leptosiphon is a native annual found in the San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern coastal ranges in grassy serpentine landscapes at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to May, this delicate plant produces uniquely colored flowers with pink lanceolate petals featuring yellow bases and occasional white tips, set against a maroon throat. Growing with thread-like stems 10 to 20 millimeters tall, it forms compact, slender structures with thin branching. Its leaves are divided into 3 to 5 narrow lanceolate lobes, each measuring 3 to 5 millimeters long. The flower's distinctive purple tube includes a notable wide hairy ring inside near the throat, creating an intricate and delicate botanical structure.

Habitat: Grassy areas generally on serpentine soil

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: SnJV, SnFrB, SCoRI.

California counties: San Benito, Fresno, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, San Mateo, Tehama, Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Lake, Plumas

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