Linanthus demissus

Desert linanthus

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert linanthus is a California native annual found in the Mojave and eastern Sonoran Deserts, particularly in the northeastern desert corner, growing in limestone soils and desert pavement at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces delicate white flowers with distinctive red marks at the base of the corolla, creating a subtle two-tone effect. Growing with decumbent stems 2 to 10 centimeters tall and covered in fine hairs, it forms low, spreading clusters across arid landscapes. Its leaves are divided into slender lobes 6 to 10 millimeters long, which may be hairy or smooth. The tiny white flowers feature a bell-shaped corolla with a 1 to 2 millimeter tube and white lobes that open to reveal a light yellow throat.

Habitat: Limestone soils, desert pavement, sandy areas

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 1700 m

Bioregions: SNE, DMoj, DSon (ne corner)

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Orange

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