Plagiobothrys cusickii
Cusick's popcornflower
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native
Cusick's popcornflower is a California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, southwestern Sacramento Valley, and Great Basin in wet, muddy areas, flats in sagebrush scrub, and conifer forest at elevations of 450 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small white flowers approximately 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter with delicate, clustered inflorescences. Growing with erect or occasionally prostrate stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall, it develops branches above the base and has lower cauline leaves extending 3 to 10 centimeters. Its leaves are strigose (covered in appressed, straight hairs), with lower leaves showing characteristic variation in shape and orientation. The fruit consists of shiny, asymmetric nutlets with subtle surface textures, featuring cross-ribs and occasional tubercles that contribute to its distinctive appearance.
Habitat: Wet, muddy areas, flats in sagebrush scrub, conifer forest
Bloom period: May-Aug
Elevation: (60)450-2100 m
Bioregions: s NCoRI, CaRH, n&c SNH, sw ScV, GB
California counties: Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Sierra, Plumas, Butte, Placer, Nevada, Mendocino, Tuolumne, Napa, Shasta, Solano, Siskiyou, Inyo, Mariposa, El Dorado
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.