Moluccella laevis

Shell flower

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Shell flower is a naturalized annual found in northern Coast Ranges, Sacramento Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area in disturbed areas and roadsides at elevations below 750 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white or pink flowers with a distinctive light green to tan calyx spanning 2 to 3 centimeters wide. Growing with stems up to 60 centimeters tall that sometimes branch at the base, it develops an upright and occasionally spreading form. Its leaves are roughly circular, palmately veined, with blade sizes between 1.5 to 4 centimeters, typically shorter than their supporting leaf stalks. The flower's lower lip is uniquely structured with four lobes, where the lateral lobes are smaller than the central two lobes.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 750 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, ScV, SnFrB

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