Navarretia setiloba
Piute mountains navarretia, Piute Mountains Navarretia
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Navarretia setiloba (Piute mountains navarretia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by flower size and color pattern.
Piute mountains navarretia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern San Joaquin Valley, and northern Transverse Ranges in clay or gravelly loam depressions at elevations of 500 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces blue to purple or light pink flowers with white flower tubes, generally darker at the base. Growing 10 to 20 centimeters tall with ascending branches, it has a glandular-puberulent stem that branches above the central stem. Its leaves are distinctively 2-pinnate-lobed with linear axes that widen and become toothed above, with linear lobes that are often forked. The flower's calyx lobes are widely strap-shaped and hairy, with stamens and style extending beyond the corolla.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 34 sympatric species; distinguished by flower size and color pattern
Habitat and range
Habitat: Depressions in clay or gravelly loam
Elevation: 500-2100 m
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare
Bloom period
Navarretia setiloba blooms Apr-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
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 setiloba native to California?
Yes. Navarretia setiloba is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Navarretia setiloba bloom?
Navarretia setiloba blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Navarretia setiloba grow?
Navarretia setiloba occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare, at elevations of 500-2100 m.
What plant family does Navarretia setiloba belong to?
Navarretia setiloba is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Navarretia.
Is Navarretia setiloba rare or endangered?
Navarretia setiloba carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.