Navarretia leptalea
(c) Bruce Homer-Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Navarretia leptalea is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family.
Slender navarretia is a California native annual herb found in open grasslands and meadows at low to moderate elevations. Flowering from April to July, this delicate plant produces soft pink flowers with fine, elongated thread-like pedicels. Growing with erect stems 10 to 33 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive branching structure with ascending to spreading branches that are lightly covered in black glandular hairs. Its leaves are narrow and linear, spreading from the stem, with lower leaves occasionally showing delicate pinnate lobing. The small fruits are shorter than the flower calyx, dehiscing subtly from their tips.
Habitat and range
California counties: Tulare, Plumas, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mono, El Dorado, Nevada, Sierra, Mariposa, Placer, Fresno, Shasta, Lassen, Butte, Mendocino, Madera, Colusa, Inyo, Modoc, Glenn, Siskiyou, Tehama, Lake, Yuba, Trinity, Alpine, Amador
How to tell it apart
vs Leptosiphon: Navarretia has spiny, thistle-like flower heads; Leptosiphon has open flower clusters without spines.; vs Gilia: Navarretia has very short glandular hairs; Gilia has white cobwebby or bent hairs.; vs Eriastrum: Navarretia flower heads are spiny but not woolly; Eriastrum heads are densely woolly-white.; vs Saltugilia: Wet the seeds - Navarretia seeds become gelatinous; Saltugilia seeds stay dry.; vs Eryngium: Navarretia has tubular flowers in heads; Eryngium has tiny separate flowers and divided leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Navarretia leptalea native to California?
Yes. Navarretia leptalea is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Navarretia leptalea grow?
Navarretia leptalea occurs in Tulare, Plumas, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mono, El Dorado, Nevada, Sierra and other counties.
What plant family does Navarretia leptalea belong to?
Navarretia leptalea is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Navarretia.
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.