Parietaria hespera
Pelitory
no rights reserved, uploaded by John Cowles · CC0
Family: Urticaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Parietaria hespera (Pelitory) is a native California herb in the Urticaceae family.
Pelitory is a California native annual herb found in various habitats across the state at low elevations. Flowering inconspicuously throughout spring and summer, this plant produces tiny green flowers nestled within its foliage. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 10 to 55 centimeters tall, it forms matted or spreading clusters. Its leaves vary from round on young stems to ovate or lanceolate on older plants, measuring 5 to 20 millimeters long with base edges ranging from truncate to wedge-shaped. The fruit is a small tan to brown ovate seed, barely 1 millimeter long and hidden between delicate calyx lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tulare, Ventura, Imperial, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Inyo, Stanislaus, Orange
How to tell it apart
vs Stellaria: Parietaria has alternate leaves in nettle-family clusters; Stellaria has opposite leaves with chickweed flowers.; vs Mirabilis: Parietaria has tiny nettle flowers in small clusters; Mirabilis has showy trumpet-like flowers.; vs Acalypha: Parietaria has smooth leaf edges; Acalypha has toothed leaves and spike-like flower clusters.; vs Euphorbia: Parietaria has simple flowers in small clusters; Euphorbia has milky sap and unique cyathia.; vs Sairocarpus: Parietaria has tiny green nettle flowers; Sairocarpus has snapdragon-like flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Parietaria hespera native to California?
Yes. Parietaria hespera is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Parietaria hespera grow?
Parietaria hespera occurs in Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tulare and other counties.
What plant family does Parietaria hespera belong to?
Parietaria hespera is in the Urticaceae family, genus Parietaria.
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.