Muilla coronata
Crowned muilla
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Themidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Muilla coronata (Crowned muilla) is a native California herb in the Themidaceae family, recognized by distinctive short scape and crown-like stamen arrangement.
Crowned muilla is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada east side, Mojave Desert, and expected in Tehachapi Mountains in open desert scrub and woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces white to blue flowers with green midveins, arranged in small clusters with 2 to 10 blossoms. Growing with slender scapes 3 to 5 centimeters tall, it emerges from a bulb with distinctive characteristics. Its single leaf reaches 7 to 18 centimeters long, emerging from the base of the plant. The flowers feature an intriguing nectar tube with a cylindric crown, creating a unique structural element that distinguishes this delicate desert species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinctive short scape and crown-like stamen arrangement
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open desert scrub, woodland
Elevation: 1000-1600 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Tulare, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside
Outside California: western Nevada
Bloom period
Muilla coronata blooms Mar-Apr.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Triteleia: Muilla has white spreading petals; Triteleia has tubular purple, blue, or yellow flowers.; vs Allium: Muilla has no onion smell; Allium smells like onion when crushed.; vs Toxicoscordion: Muilla flowers in loose clusters on short stems; Toxicoscordion flowers in dense spike-like racemes.; vs Nothoscordum: Muilla has truly scentless flowers; Nothoscordum has faint garlic smell and flowers in umbels.; vs Bloomeria: Muilla has white flowers; Bloomeria has golden-yellow flowers with a visible nectar cup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Muilla coronata native to California?
Yes. Muilla coronata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Muilla coronata bloom?
Muilla coronata blooms Mar-Apr.
Where in California does Muilla coronata grow?
Muilla coronata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Tulare, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, at elevations of 1000-1600 m.
What plant family does Muilla coronata belong to?
Muilla coronata is in the Themidaceae family, genus Muilla.
Is Muilla coronata rare or endangered?
Muilla coronata carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.