Leptosiphon bolanderi
Bolander's linanthus
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Leptosiphon bolanderi (Bolander's linanthus) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by single flowers with tube <5mm and funnel-shaped corolla distinctive.
Bolander's linanthus is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada foothills, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, and Modoc Plateau in drying areas of woodland and chaparral at elevations of 200 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces delicate white, pink, blue, or lilac flowers with a yellow throat, funnel-shaped and approximately 5 to 6 millimeters long. Growing with thread-like stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, sometimes glabrous and sometimes hairy, the plant has a delicate, slender appearance. Its leaves are composed of narrow linear lobes 2 to 5 millimeters long, giving the plant a fine, intricate texture. Each stem typically bears a single flower on a slender 5 to 25 millimeter peduncle, creating a graceful, minimalist botanical display.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species; single flowers with tube <5mm and funnel-shaped corolla distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Drying areas in woodland, chaparral
Elevation: 200-1700 m
California counties: Mendocino, Tuolumne, Modoc, Trinity, Lake, Tehama, Placer, El Dorado, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Kern, Glenn, Sierra, Nevada, Napa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Solano, Calaveras
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Leptosiphon bolanderi blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Linanthus: Leptosiphon flowers open in daytime on stalks >2mm; Linanthus flowers often open at dusk/night on very short stalks.; vs Phlox: Leptosiphon leaves are deeply divided into fingers; Phlox leaves are completely undivided.; vs Navarretia: Leptosiphon has soft, flexible leaf lobes; Navarretia has rigid, spine-tipped leaf lobes and bracts.; vs Gilia: Leptosiphon has opposite palmately-lobed leaves; Gilia has alternate pinnately-lobed leaves.; vs Sabulina: Leptosiphon has tubular 5-petaled flowers and lobed leaves; Sabulina has 5 separate petals and needle-like leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Leptosiphon bolanderi native to California?
Yes. Leptosiphon bolanderi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Leptosiphon bolanderi bloom?
Leptosiphon bolanderi blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Leptosiphon bolanderi grow?
Leptosiphon bolanderi occurs in Mendocino, Tuolumne, Modoc, Trinity, Lake, Tehama, Placer, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 200-1700 m.
What plant family does Leptosiphon bolanderi belong to?
Leptosiphon bolanderi is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Leptosiphon.
What habitat does Leptosiphon bolanderi grow in?
Leptosiphon bolanderi grows in Drying areas in woodland, chaparral.
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.