Nama depressa
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Namaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Nama depressa is a native California perennial in the Namaceae family, recognized by distinctive leafless lower stems and pedicelled flowers.
Nama depressa is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, northern San Bernardno Mountains, eastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert in dry, sandy or gravelly flats and slopes at elevations of 360 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces pink or white flowers in small funnel-shaped blossoms about 3 to 6 millimeters long. Growing with prostrate stems 2 to 10 centimeters tall, the plant is distinctively forked and generally leafless in its lower half. Its leaves are sessile, oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, measuring 2 to 16 millimeters long and covered in soft, appressed to ascending hairs. The tiny seeds are brown, roughly 0.4 to 0.7 millimeters long, with cross-ridged surfaces and subtle depressions.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species, distinctive leafless lower stems and pedicelled flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, sandy or gravelly flats, slopes
Elevation: 360-1700 m
Outside California: southwestern Nevada
Bloom period
Nama depressa blooms Apr-May.
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 depressa native to California?
Yes. Nama depressa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Nama depressa bloom?
Nama depressa blooms Apr-May.
What plant family does Nama depressa belong to?
Nama depressa is in the Namaceae family, genus Nama.
What habitat does Nama depressa grow in?
Nama depressa grows in Dry, sandy or gravelly flats, slopes.
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.