Nama rothrockii
Rothrock's fiddleleaf
(c) Joe Decruyenaere, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Namaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Nama rothrockii (Rothrock's fiddleleaf) is a native California subshrub in the Namaceae family, recognized by tallest habit, largest toothed leaves, rhizomatous colonies.
Rothrock's fiddleleaf is a California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in sandy alluvial flats, gravelly granitic slopes, and meadows at elevations of 1,600 to 3,050 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces pink, purple, or pale blue flowers in small heads with a funnel-shaped corolla 13 to 18 millimeters long. Growing with erect, sticky stems 20 to 30 centimeters tall that form dense colonies, it spreads through rhizomes and is covered in short glandular and long bristly hairs. Its leaves are 2 to 6 centimeters long, lanceolate to elliptic, with crenate-dentate edges that give the plant its distinctive fiddleleaf appearance. The plant produces small red-brown to brown seeds that are minutely pitted, each measuring 1 to 2 millimeters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species, tallest habit, largest toothed leaves, rhizomatous colonies
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy alluvial flats, gravelly granitic slopes, meadows
Elevation: 1600-3050 m
California counties: Tulare, San Bernardino, Inyo, Fresno, Mono, Kern, Los Angeles
Outside California: Nevada, northwestern Arizona
Bloom period
Nama rothrockii blooms Jul-Aug.
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 rothrockii native to California?
Yes. Nama rothrockii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Nama rothrockii bloom?
Nama rothrockii blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Nama rothrockii grow?
Nama rothrockii occurs in Tulare, San Bernardino, Inyo, Fresno, Mono, Kern, Los Angeles, at elevations of 1600-3050 m.
What plant family does Nama rothrockii belong to?
Nama rothrockii is in the Namaceae family, genus Nama.
What habitat does Nama rothrockii grow in?
Nama rothrockii grows in Sandy alluvial flats, gravelly granitic slopes, meadows.
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.