Plagiobothrys diffusus

San francisco popcornflower, San Francisco Popcornflower

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

San francisco popcornflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in central Coast and west-central San Francisco Bay bioregions in moist places and seeps at elevations of 30 to 150 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white flowers with small yellow appendages in delicate clusters. Growing prostrate to ascending with slender stems 5 to 25 centimeters long, it has a strigose (stiff-hairy) appearance. Its cauline leaves are generally 5 to 10 centimeters long, with spreading bracts throughout the plant. The tiny nutlets are ovate, approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, ranging from tan to gray with subtle ridges and net-like surface textures.

Habitat: Moist places, seeps

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 30-150 m

Bioregions: c CCo, w-c SnFrB.

California counties: San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Mateo

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