Mollugo verticillata
Green carpetweed
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Family: Molluginaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Mollugo verticillata (Green carpetweed) is a non-native California herb in the Molluginaceae family, recognized by Tropical American species with distinctive whorled leaf arrangement, limited California naturalization.
Green carpetweed is a naturalized annual found in California's Central Valley and Southeastern Great Basin in moist, exposed areas such as wetland margins, roadsides, and disturbed fields at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to November, this plant produces small white flowers in clusters of 2 to 6 blossoms. Growing as a mat-forming plant less than 50 centimeters in diameter, it spreads with unequally forked stems that create a low, sprawling ground cover. Its leaves grow in whorls of 3 to 8, measuring 5 to 40 millimeters long, creating delicate green clusters along the stems. The fruit is ovoid-ellipsoid, containing dark or red-brown seeds that contribute to its widespread distribution.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Tropical American species with distinctive whorled leaf arrangement, limited California naturalization
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Moist, exposed, disturbed wetland margins, roadsides, fields
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Contra Costa, Tulare, Lake, Riverside, Orange, Stanislaus, Amador, Butte, Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Solano, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Tuolumne, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Sacramento, Glenn, Sonoma, Kern, Mono, Tehama, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Merced, Marin, Colusa, Humboldt, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Sutter, Trinity, Yuba, Shasta, Napa, Plumas, San Diego, Modoc, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Yolo
Outside California: North America, native to tropical America
Bloom period
Mollugo verticillata blooms May-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Galium: Mollugo has small flowers with separate petals and sepals; Galium has tiny flowers in a wheel shape with fused petals.; vs Glinus: Mollugo is completely smooth with flowers on long thin stalks; Glinus is hairy with flowers on short thick stalks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mollugo verticillata native to California?
No. Mollugo verticillata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Mollugo verticillata bloom?
Mollugo verticillata blooms May-Nov.
Where in California does Mollugo verticillata grow?
Mollugo verticillata occurs in Contra Costa, Tulare, Lake, Riverside, Orange, Stanislaus, Amador, Butte and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Mollugo verticillata belong to?
Mollugo verticillata is in the Molluginaceae family, genus Mollugo.
What habitat does Mollugo verticillata grow in?
Mollugo verticillata grows in Common. Moist, exposed, disturbed wetland margins, roadsides, fields.
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.