Pogogyne zizyphoroides
Sacramento beardstyle, Sacramento Beardstyle
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pogogyne zizyphoroides (Sacramento beardstyle) is a native California herb in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by intermediate size and erect habit with terminal flower heads.
Sacramento beardstyle is a California native annual found in northern Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area in vernal pools and seasonal depressions at elevations below 400 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces lavender to purple flowers 4 to 8 millimeters long in dense, head-like terminal and axillary clusters. Growing 5 to 16 centimeters tall with generally ascending to erect stems about 1 millimeter in diameter, it can be simple or branched toward the stem tips. Its leaves are arranged to create compact, conspicuous clusters with distinctive floral structures. Each flower has a calyx tube 2.5 to 5 millimeters long with lobes 1.5 to 6 millimeters in length, creating an intricate botanical profile characteristic of vernal pool environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by intermediate size and erect habit with terminal flower heads
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools, depressions
Elevation: < 400 m
California counties: Amador, Yolo, Placer, Mendocino, San Joaquin, Butte, Tehama, Alameda, Sacramento, Calaveras, Solano, San Benito, Humboldt, Yuba, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Merced, Sutter, Glenn, Contra Costa, Colusa, Shasta, Madera, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Lake, Monterey
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Pogogyne zizyphoroides blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Navarretia: Pogogyne has square stems and opposite leaves; Navarretia has round stems and alternate leaves.; vs Mentha: Pogogyne is annual in vernal pools; Mentha is perennial in permanently moist sites.; vs Verbena: Pogogyne has square mint stems; Verbena has four-sided but not square stems.; vs Prunella: Pogogyne is annual with bristly bracts; Prunella is perennial with smooth cylindrical spike.; vs Origanum: Pogogyne has narrow linear bracts; Origanum has broad pale overlapping bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pogogyne zizyphoroides native to California?
Yes. Pogogyne zizyphoroides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pogogyne zizyphoroides bloom?
Pogogyne zizyphoroides blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Pogogyne zizyphoroides grow?
Pogogyne zizyphoroides occurs in Amador, Yolo, Placer, Mendocino, San Joaquin, Butte, Tehama, Alameda and other counties, at elevations of < 400 m.
What plant family does Pogogyne zizyphoroides belong to?
Pogogyne zizyphoroides is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Pogogyne.
What habitat does Pogogyne zizyphoroides grow in?
Pogogyne zizyphoroides grows in Vernal pools, depressions.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Pogogyne abramsii — San diego mesa mint
- Pogogyne clareana — Santa lucia mint
- Pogogyne douglasii — Douglas' beardstyle
- Pogogyne floribunda — Profuse-flowered pogogyne
- Pogogyne nudiuscula — Otay mesa mint
- Pogogyne serpylloides — Thymeleaf beardstyle
- Poliomintha incana — Frosted mint
- Poliomintha sp.
- Prunella sp. — Self-heal
- Prunella vulgaris — Common selfheal
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.