Plagiobothrys verrucosus
Forget-me-not popcornflower
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1
Plagiobothrys verrucosus (Forget-me-not popcornflower) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family.
Forget-me-not popcornflower is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native annual found in the southeastern San Francisco Bay Area's Mount Hamilton Range in open chaparral with gravelly soil at elevations of 700 to 850 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces small white flowers with pale yellow appendages and a pink-stained corolla limb approximately 1.5 to 3 millimeters in diameter. Growing with erect reddish stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall that are covered in stiff, spreading hairs, it develops a distinctive basal rosette of leaves 1 to 3 centimeters long. Its leaves are primarily basal with alternate cauline leaves that are ovate in shape, complemented by bracts throughout the inflorescence. The fruit consists of small brown nutlets about 1.5 millimeters long, featuring irregular papillae and tubercles across its surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated - no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open chaparral, gravelly soil, +- fire follower
Elevation: 700-850 m
Outside California: southern South America
Bloom period
Plagiobothrys verrucosus blooms Mar-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.1
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 verrucosus native to California?
Yes. Plagiobothrys verrucosus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Plagiobothrys verrucosus bloom?
Plagiobothrys verrucosus blooms Mar-May.
What plant family does Plagiobothrys verrucosus belong to?
Plagiobothrys verrucosus is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Plagiobothrys.
Is Plagiobothrys verrucosus rare or endangered?
Plagiobothrys verrucosus carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Plagiobothrys verrucosus grow in?
Plagiobothrys verrucosus grows in Open chaparral, gravelly soil, +- fire follower.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus — Adobe popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys arizonicus — Arizona popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys austiniae — Austin's spiny-nut popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys bracteatus — Bracted popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys canescens — Grey popcorn flower
- Plagiobothrys canescens var. canescens — Valley popcornflower
- Simpsonanthus jonesii — Simpson's popcornflower
- Simpsonanthus sp.
- Sonnea hispida — Cascade popcornflower
- Sonnea sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.