Nama densa
(c) Daniel Kennedy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Namaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Nama densa is a native California perennial in the Namaceae family.
Dense nama is a California native perennial found in desert and mountain regions in rocky or gravelly habitats. Flowering from spring to summer, this plant produces white to pale purple flowers with small blossoms less than 3.5 millimeters in diameter. Growing with prostrate stems that fork and spread, it features dense, stiff hairs with swollen bases that give the plant a distinctive texture. Its leaves are sessile, lance-shaped to oblanceolate, hugging the ground in compact clusters. The fruit is small, measuring 2 to 4 millimeters long, with seeds that are elliptic to ovoid and colored brown to black.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated, prostrate with cylindric flowers
Habitat and range
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Nevada, Siskiyou, Los Angeles
How to tell it apart
vs Diplacus: Nama has purple to blue tubular flowers with unequal stamens; Diplacus has 2-lipped snapdragon-like flowers often yellow or orange.; vs Phacelia: Nama has stamens at different heights in the flower tube; Phacelia has all stamens attached at the same level.; vs Gilia: Nama is a low mat-forming plant with small purple flowers; Gilia is typically more upright with flowers in round heads.; vs Calibrachoa: Nama has small tubular flowers in clusters; Calibrachoa has large showy petunia-like flowers with wide flaring petals.; vs Erodium: Nama has purple tubular flowers; Erodium has pink 5-petaled flowers and distinctive long beak-like fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nama densa native to California?
Yes. Nama densa is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Nama densa grow?
Nama densa occurs in Mono, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Nevada, Siskiyou, Los Angeles.
What plant family does Nama densa belong to?
Nama densa is in the Namaceae family, genus Nama.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.