Plagiobothrys canescens
Grey popcorn flower
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Plagiobothrys canescens (Grey popcorn flower) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family.
Grey popcorn flower is a California native annual found in low-elevation grasslands and coastal areas. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white flowers with pale yellow appendages, typically 2 to 3 millimeters in diameter. Growing with prostrate to erect stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall that are softly canescent (grayish-white hairy), it has a delicate, spreading form. Its leaves are arranged in a basal rosette, with cauline leaves alternating up the stem, measuring 1.5 to 5 centimeters long. The fruit consists of 3 to 4 small round-ovate nutlets, each about 2 to 2.5 millimeters long with narrow ridges and wide, flat interspaces.
Habitat and range
California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Napa, Tulare, Alameda, Tehama, Orange, San Diego, Santa Clara, Madera, Santa Cruz, Sutter, Shasta, Colusa, Merced, Mariposa, Yolo, Kings, Contra Costa, Ventura, Sacramento, El Dorado, Siskiyou, Solano, Amador, Inyo, Placer, Calaveras, Alpine, Lassen
How to tell it apart
vs Cryptantha: Seeds have a raised ridge down the inner face, not a groove like Cryptantha.; vs Pectocarya: Seeds lack the comb-like marginal barbs of Pectocarya; attachment scar is raised.; vs Myosotis: Flowers are smaller and more tubular; Myosotis has wider, flatter blue flowers with yellow centers.; vs Nemophila: Nemophila has much larger, showier blue-white flowers and broader leaves.; vs Leptosiphon: Leptosiphon has needle-like divided leaves; Plagiobothrys has simple narrow leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Plagiobothrys canescens native to California?
Yes. Plagiobothrys canescens is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Plagiobothrys canescens grow?
Plagiobothrys canescens occurs in Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Fresno, Los Angeles and other counties.
What plant family does Plagiobothrys canescens belong to?
Plagiobothrys canescens is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Plagiobothrys.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Plagiobothrys canescens var. canescens — Valley popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys canescens var. catalinensis — Santa catalina popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys chorisianus — Artist's popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys chorisianus var. chorisianus — Choris' popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys chorisianus var. hickmanii — Hickman's popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys cognatus — Cognate popcornflower
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.