Pectiantia ovalis
Coastal miterwort
(c) Peter Abrahamsen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pectiantia ovalis (Coastal miterwort) is a native California herb in the Saxifragaceae family, recognized by coastal low-elevation habitat distinctive.
Coastal miterwort is a California native perennial found in northern coastal California regions including Marin County on wet woodland and shaded streambanks at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow-green flowers with linear lobes arranged alternately. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with densely hairy stems and petioles, it develops distinctive ovate-elliptic leaves 1.5 to 5 centimeters wide. Its leaves feature 5 to 9 shallow lobes with approximately sharp teeth, creating a delicate, intricate appearance. The plant's small flowers emerge on extremely short pedicels less than 1.5 millimeters long, with a hypanthium 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species; coastal low-elevation habitat distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet woodland, shaded streambanks
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Pectiantia ovalis blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Mitella: Pectiantia lacks stem leaves; Mitella has 1-3 small leaves along the flowering stem; vs Bolandra: Pectiantia has fringed petals split into many narrow lobes; Bolandra has smooth, uncut petals; vs Heuchera: Pectiantia has fringed fan-like petals; Heuchera has smooth entire petals or none at all; vs Mitellastra: Pectiantia has only basal leaves and blooms bottom-to-top; Mitellastra has stem leaves and blooms top-to-bottom; vs Ozomelis: Pectiantia's petals split into 4-10 narrow segments; Ozomelis petals have 3 broader triangular lobes
Frequently asked questions
Is Pectiantia ovalis native to California?
Yes. Pectiantia ovalis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pectiantia ovalis bloom?
Pectiantia ovalis blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Pectiantia ovalis grow?
Pectiantia ovalis occurs in Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Pectiantia ovalis belong to?
Pectiantia ovalis is in the Saxifragaceae family, genus Pectiantia.
What habitat does Pectiantia ovalis grow in?
Pectiantia ovalis grows in Wet woodland, shaded streambanks.
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.