Linanthus orcuttii

Orcutt's linanthus

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Orcutt's linanthus is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in the Peninsular Ranges and desert regions in chaparral, pine forest, and desert scrub at elevations of 1,100 to 2,150 meters. Flowering from April to June, this delicate plant produces white to purple flowers with a distinctive funnel-shaped corolla, the tube grading from white to purple and featuring pink lobes with two purple marks at the base. Growing with slender stems 5 to 10 centimeters tall and sparsely covered with fine hairs, it has a compact, low-growing form. Its leaves are divided into linear lobes 5 to 12 millimeters long, each delicately hairy and creating a feathery appearance. The plant produces small obovoid fruits containing 15 to 30 seeds, nestled within the flower's calyx.

Habitat: Chaparral, pine forest, desert scrub

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 1100-2150 m

Bioregions: PR, D

California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino

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