Navarretia linearifolia
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Navarretia linearifolia is a native California annual in the Polemoniaceae family.
Linear-flowered navarretia is a native annual herb found in California grasslands and open woodlands at elevations between 100 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this delicate plant produces bright pink flowers with white undertones on slender, thread-like pedicels. Growing with erect stems 5 to 50 centimeters tall that are densely covered in glandular hairs, it develops distinctive spreading leaves that range from linear to narrowly lanceolate. Its leaves are uniquely structured, with lower leaves sometimes pinnate-lobed and upper leaves having 2 to 5 palmate lobes, with the middle lobe notably wider and longer. The flowers emerge individually or in pairs above the leaves, with calyx lobes edged in reddish margins and corolla tubes featuring subtle red streaks.
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 linearifolia native to California?
Yes. Navarretia linearifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Navarretia linearifolia belong to?
Navarretia linearifolia 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 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.