Plagiobothrys mollis var. vestitus

Petaluma popcornflower

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1A

Petaluma popcornflower is a rare (CNPS 1A) California native perennial found in northern San Francisco Bay near Petaluma in southern Sonoma County's wet grassland sites at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white flowers in delicate clusters characteristic of the popcornflower family. Growing with slender stems less than 30 centimeters tall, it emerges sparsely in grassland habitats. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, typical of low-growing wildflowers in coastal grasslands. The fruit consists of brown nutlets with a distinctive netted cross-rib pattern that distinguishes this critically imperiled variety.

Habitat: Presumed extinct. Wet sites in grassland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: < 50 m

Bioregions: n SnFrB (near Petaluma, s Sonoma Co.).

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