Leptosiphon serrulatus
Madera leptosiphon
(c) Chris Winchell, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Leptosiphon serrulatus (Madera leptosiphon) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by distinctive white and dark purple tube coloration diagnostic.
Madera leptosiphon is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in openings within woodland and chaparral at elevations of 300 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces white flowers with a distinctive dark purple and yellow throat, creating a striking bicolor effect. Growing with delicate stems 5 to 18 centimeters tall that are softly puberulent, it forms compact clusters in woodland clearings. Its leaves have linear lobes 4 to 10 millimeters long, covered in fine hairs that give the plant a soft, feathery appearance. The funnel-shaped flower has a white lower tube transitioning to a dark purple section and a bright yellow throat, with white lobes extending 5 to 7 millimeters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species; distinctive white and dark purple tube coloration diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in woodland, chaparral
Elevation: 300-1300 m
California counties: Fresno, Mariposa, Kern, Madera, Tulare
Bloom period
Leptosiphon serrulatus blooms Apr-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 serrulatus native to California?
Yes. Leptosiphon serrulatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Leptosiphon serrulatus bloom?
Leptosiphon serrulatus blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Leptosiphon serrulatus grow?
Leptosiphon serrulatus occurs in Fresno, Mariposa, Kern, Madera, Tulare, at elevations of 300-1300 m.
What plant family does Leptosiphon serrulatus belong to?
Leptosiphon serrulatus is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Leptosiphon.
Is Leptosiphon serrulatus rare or endangered?
Leptosiphon serrulatus carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Leptosiphon sp.
- Leptosiphon ambiguus — Serpentine leptosiphon
- Leptosiphon androsaceus — False babystars
- Leptosiphon aureus — Bristly leptosiphon
- Leptosiphon bicolor — True babystars
- Leptosiphon bolanderi — Bolander's linanthus
- Linanthus arenicola — Sand linanthus
- Linanthus bellus — Desert beauty
- Linanthus bernardinus — Pioneertown linanthus
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.