Linanthus dichotomus subsp. meridianus

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Southern dichotomus linanthus is a California native annual herb found in northern San Francisco Bay and northern Coast Ranges in serpentine drying openings at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces delicate white to pale lavender flowers that open during the day and close in the evening. Growing with slender branching stems 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms loose, delicate clusters. Its narrow leaves are finely divided into linear segments, creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The flowers emerge in small, open clusters that create an intricate, web-like pattern across the serpentine landscape.

Habitat: Drying openings, especially serpentine

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 1700 m

Bioregions: n SnFrB, NCoR.

California counties: Tulare, Napa, Butte, Lake, Santa Clara, Monterey, Tehama, Glenn, Shasta, Colusa, Los Angeles

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