Plagiobothrys chorisianus var. chorisianus

Choris' popcornflower, Choris' Popcornflower

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Choris' popcornflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern central Coast, and western San Francisco Bay Area in grassy, moist places, ephemeral drainages, coastal scrub, and chaparral at elevations below 650 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white flowers with corolla limbs 6 to 10 millimeters wide. Growing with decumbent to erect stems that branch from upper axils, it spreads in delicate clusters across moist landscapes. Its lower leaf pair is generally fused at the base, partially sheathing the stem, with a characteristic arrangement that helps distinguish this tiny annual. The flower's pedicels are notably longer than the calyx, creating a distinctive branching pattern in its subtle, understated growth.

Habitat: Grassy, moist places, ephemeral drainages, coastal scrub, chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 650 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRO, n CCo, w SnFrB.

California counties: San Mateo, Mendocino, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.