Parietaria hespera var. californica
California pellitory
Family: Urticaceae · Type: annual · Native
California pellitory is a California native annual found in central Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California Coast, Channel Islands, and Peninsular Ranges in rocky slopes, canyons, coastal scrub, chaparral, and oak woodland at elevations of 30 to 1,220 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces small green to light red-brown flowers with spreading calyx lobes. Growing with delicate stems that spread or ascend, reaching heights of 10 to 30 centimeters. Its leaves are distinctive, with round to ovate blades on older stems that are typically as wide as they are long. The plant thrives in rocky environments, often nestling among boulders and adapting to various coastal and inland habitats.
Habitat: Rocky slopes, canyons, among boulders, in coastal scrub, chaparral, oak woodland
Bloom period: Feb-May
Elevation: 30-1220 m
Bioregions: c&s CCo, SnFrB, SCo, ChI, PR
California counties: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Orange, San Diego, Monterey, Riverside, Fresno, Kern, San Benito, Stanislaus, Contra Costa
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.