Nicotiana quadrivalvis
Four-valved tobacco
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Solanaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Nicotiana quadrivalvis (Four-valved tobacco) is a native California herb in the Solanaceae family, recognized by large star-shaped flowers and long calyx lobes.
Four-valved tobacco is a California native annual found in the Central California Coast Ranges and Desert Ranges in open, well-drained washes and slopes at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces white flowers with green or violet tints, shaped like a star or pentagon, 20 to 50 millimeters wide. Growing 30 to 200 centimeters tall with sticky, glandular-hairy stems, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves vary from elliptic to ovate, with basal and lower stem leaves short-petioled and 4 to 15 centimeters long, becoming smaller and sessile toward the stem tips. The fruit is an elongated capsule 10 to 25 millimeters long, producing tiny seeds less than one millimeter in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key features are large star-shaped flowers and long calyx lobes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, well-drained washes, slopes
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, Sonoma, San Diego, Orange, Contra Costa, Butte, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Monterey, Sacramento, Lake, Tehama, Colusa, Napa, Humboldt, Mendocino, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Alameda, Tulare, San Benito, San Joaquin, Imperial, Trinity, Amador, Santa Clara, Yolo, Fresno, Madera, Calaveras, Merced
Outside California: to Washington, central United States
Bloom period
Nicotiana quadrivalvis blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Mirabilis: Nicotiana has tubular flowers with visible petals; Mirabilis has petal-like sepals with no true petals.; vs Oxalis: Nicotiana has tubular nightshade flowers; Oxalis has clover-like leaves and 5-petaled flowers.; vs Phytolacca: Nicotiana has tubular flowers in terminal clusters; Phytolacca has tiny flowers in drooping spikes and purple berries.; vs Solanum: Nicotiana has flowers in branched terminal clusters; Solanum has flowers with prominent yellow anther cone.; vs Encelia: Nicotiana has tubular nightshade flowers; Encelia has yellow daisy-like composite flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nicotiana quadrivalvis native to California?
Yes. Nicotiana quadrivalvis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Nicotiana quadrivalvis bloom?
Nicotiana quadrivalvis blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Nicotiana quadrivalvis grow?
Nicotiana quadrivalvis occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, Sonoma, San Diego, Orange and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Nicotiana quadrivalvis belong to?
Nicotiana quadrivalvis is in the Solanaceae family, genus Nicotiana.
What habitat does Nicotiana quadrivalvis grow in?
Nicotiana quadrivalvis grows in Open, well-drained washes, slopes.
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.