Plagiobothrys collinus var. ursinus

Bear valley popcornflower, Bear Valley Popcornflower

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bear valley popcornflower is a California native annual found in the Tehachapi Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and southern Peninsular Ranges near Tecate Mountain in open conifer forest on sandy or gravelly granite-based soils at elevations of 1,100 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small white flowers with delicate corolla limbs about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, arranged in compact clusters among its leaves. Growing in dense tufts with nearly erect stems 2 to 8 centimeters tall and covered in coarse hairs, it forms small, clustered populations. Its leaves are oblanceolate, 1 to 2.5 centimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide, spreading near the base of the plant. The fruit consists of small nutlets 1.5 to 2 millimeters long, characteristic of its popcornflower genus.

Habitat: Sandy or gravelly granite-based soils, open conifer forest

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: generally 1100-2400 m

Bioregions: SnBr, SnJt, s PR (Tecate Mtn)

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