Plagiobothrys undulatus
Wavy-stemmed popcornflower, Wavy-Stemmed Popcornflower
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Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Plagiobothrys undulatus (Wavy-stemmed popcornflower) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by erect-then-decumbent habit and sessile flowers.
Wavy-stemmed popcornflower is a California native annual found in coastal and central California regions including northern Coast Ranges, southern Sacramento Valley, central western California, southern California, and Peninsular Ranges in wet places and vernal pools at elevations below 400 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces tiny white flowers with pale yellow appendages in small clusters. Growing with erect stems that turn decumbent, reaching 10 to 40 centimeters tall and covered in sparse short strigose hairs, it develops slender cauline leaves 2 to 6 centimeters long. Its small nutlets are brown, ovate to lance-shaped, with distinctive cross-ribs and a prominent ridge running along most of the fruit's length. The plant's delicate structure and ability to thrive in ephemeral wet habitats make it a characteristic species of California's seasonal wetland ecosystems.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 41 sympatric species - distinguished by erect-then-decumbent habit and sessile flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet places, vernal pools
Elevation: < 400 m
California counties: Monterey, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Marin, Sonoma, San Diego, Napa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Ventura, Mendocino, Placer, Kern, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Sacramento, Madera, Tehama, Fresno, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, San Mateo, Sutter, Solano, Modoc, Merced, Santa Clara
Bloom period
Plagiobothrys undulatus blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Cryptantha: Seeds have a raised ridge down the inner face, not a groove like Cryptantha.; vs Pectocarya: Seeds lack the comb-like marginal barbs of Pectocarya; attachment scar is raised.; vs Myosotis: Flowers are smaller and more tubular; Myosotis has wider, flatter blue flowers with yellow centers.; vs Nemophila: Nemophila has much larger, showier blue-white flowers and broader leaves.; vs Leptosiphon: Leptosiphon has needle-like divided leaves; Plagiobothrys has simple narrow leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Plagiobothrys undulatus native to California?
Yes. Plagiobothrys undulatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Plagiobothrys undulatus bloom?
Plagiobothrys undulatus blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Plagiobothrys undulatus grow?
Plagiobothrys undulatus occurs in Monterey, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Marin, Sonoma, San Diego, Napa, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 400 m.
What plant family does Plagiobothrys undulatus belong to?
Plagiobothrys undulatus is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Plagiobothrys.
What habitat does Plagiobothrys undulatus grow in?
Plagiobothrys undulatus grows in Wet places, vernal pools.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Plagiobothrys verrucosus — Forget-me-not popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus — Adobe popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys arizonicus — Arizona popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys austiniae — Austin's spiny-nut popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys bracteatus — Bracted popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys canescens — Grey popcorn flower
- Simpsonanthus jonesii — Simpson's popcornflower
- Simpsonanthus sp.
- Sonnea hispida — Cascade popcornflower
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.