Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii is a native California annual in the Polemoniaceae family.
Johnson's linanthus is a California native annual found in desert and dry regions at elevations generally below 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces cream or white flowers with light purple shading, opening in the evening with funnel-shaped corollas. Growing with erect stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it is glabrous with very sparse long soft hairs near the nodes. Its simple linear leaves measure 10 to 30 millimeters long, with very sparse long soft hairs along the proximal leaf margins. The fruit is cylindrical and shorter than the calyx, containing 9 to 28 seeds that swell and become gelatinous when wet.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Deserts, dry areas
Elevation: generally < 1700 m
Outside California: to Utah, Arizona
Bloom period
Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Phlox: Linanthus has alternate leaves; Phlox has opposite leaves paired along the stem.; vs Leptosiphon: Linanthus has rigid, sharp leaf tips and nocturnal flowers; Leptosiphon has soft leaf tips and day-blooming flowers.; vs Gilia: Linanthus has wheel-shaped flowers with lobes longer than tube; Gilia has narrow funnel flowers with tube longer than lobes.; vs Coleonema: Linanthus has palm-divided leaves and phlox flowers; Coleonema has needle-like leaves and 5-petaled star flowers.; vs Navarretia: Linanthus has open wheel flowers and non-spiny leaves; Navarretia has tiny tube flowers hidden in spiny bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii native to California?
Yes. Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii bloom?
Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii blooms Mar-May.
What plant family does Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii belong to?
Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Linanthus.
What habitat does Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii grow in?
Linanthus bigelovii subsp. johnsonii grows in Deserts, dry areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.