Navarretia myersii subsp. myersii

Pincushion navarretia, Pincushion Navarretia

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Pincushion navarretia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in northern and central Sierra Nevada Foothills and central Great Valley in Sacramento, Amador, and Merced counties, inhabiting vernal pools at elevations of 20 to 90 meters. Flowering in May, this delicate plant produces white flowers with a distinctive corolla 17 to 21 millimeters long and intricate pincushion-like structure. Growing with slender stems less than 20 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in seasonal wetland habitats. Its leaves are finely divided with narrow, needle-like segments that contribute to its distinctive pincushion appearance. The plant's flower structure features a calyx tube longer than its lobes, creating a unique architectural form in its ephemeral vernal pool environment.

Habitat: Vernal pools

Bloom period: May

Elevation: 20-90 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SNF, c GV (few sites, Sacramento, Amador, Merced cos.).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.