Leptosiphon minimus
True babystars
(c) Noah How, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Leptosiphon minimus (True babystars) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by smaller size and shorter tubes than L. bicolor, NW California range.
True babystars is a California native annual found in northwestern California in grassy areas at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering in May, this delicate plant produces pink or white flowers with red and yellow throats, emerging late morning and closing by early evening. Growing with hairy stems 2 to 10 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in open grasslands. Its leaves have narrow lobes 3 to 13 millimeters long, ranging from narrowly obovate to linear in shape. The flower's distinctive salverform corolla has a thread-like tube 5 to 16 millimeters long, with rounded or truncate lobes 2 to 4 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; smaller size and shorter tubes than L. bicolor, NW California range
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy areas
Elevation: < 500 m
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Leptosiphon minimus blooms May.
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 minimus native to California?
Yes. Leptosiphon minimus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Leptosiphon minimus bloom?
Leptosiphon minimus blooms May.
What plant family does Leptosiphon minimus belong to?
Leptosiphon minimus is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Leptosiphon.
What habitat does Leptosiphon minimus grow in?
Leptosiphon minimus grows in Grassy areas.
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.