Lysimachia monelli
Flaxleaf pimpernel, Flaxleaf Pimpernel
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Family: Myrsinaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Lysimachia monelli (Flaxleaf pimpernel) is a non-native California herb in the Myrsinaceae family, recognized by key features: dry habitat, orange/blue flowers, ascending fruiting pedicels, narrow leaves.
Flaxleaf pimpernel is a naturalized perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coastal Ranges, southern Coast, and western Transverse Ranges in dry, disturbed places at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces orange or blue flowers occasionally in paler shades, with blossoms 5 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with ascending to erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall that are freely branched, it has distinctive resin canals. Its leaves are opposite or whorled, with linear-lanceolate to elliptic blades 10 to 15 millimeters long and no distinct petiole. The fruit is circumscissile and nearly spherical.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features: dry habitat, orange/blue flowers, ascending fruiting pedicels, narrow leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, disturbed places
Elevation: < 700 m
Outside California: Virginia, native to Europe
Bloom period
Lysimachia monelli blooms Feb-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Modiola: Lysimachia has stamens opposite petals; Modiola has stamens fused in a central column.; vs Euphorbia: Lysimachia has true petals; spurge has petal-like bracts around flower clusters and milky sap.; vs Honckenya: Lysimachia has stamens opposite petals; sandwort has stamens alternating with petals.; vs Erythranthe: Lysimachia has radially symmetric flowers; monkeyflower has bilateral tubular flowers.; vs Veronica: Lysimachia has 5 petals and stamens opposite petals; speedwell has 4 petals and 2 stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lysimachia monelli native to California?
No. Lysimachia monelli is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lysimachia monelli bloom?
Lysimachia monelli blooms Feb-May.
What plant family does Lysimachia monelli belong to?
Lysimachia monelli is in the Myrsinaceae family, genus Lysimachia.
What habitat does Lysimachia monelli grow in?
Lysimachia monelli grows in Dry, disturbed places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.