Porterella carnosula
Fleshy porterella
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Family: Campanulaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Porterella carnosula (Fleshy porterella) is a native California herb in the Campanulaceae family, recognized by Only member of Porterella genus in CA, restricted to high elevation wetland margins.
Fleshy porterella is a California native annual found in the High Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Cascade Range Highlands in moist, grassy roadsides and lake and pond edges at elevations of 1,300 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this delicate plant produces blue flowers with a distinctive yellow spot on the lower lip, creating an intricate 4 to 5 millimeters long bloom. Growing 2 to 30 centimeters tall with erect stems that may branch from the base, it has a glabrous appearance and emerges from wet ground. Its leaves are narrowly ovate to triangular, sessile, and measure 12 to 15 millimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide, with occasional subtle teeth along the edges. The fruit is a narrow obconic to cylindric structure 5 to 10 millimeters long, with an acute or rounded top.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Only member of Porterella genus in CA, restricted to high elevation wetland margins
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist, grassy roadsides, lake and pond edges
Elevation: 1300-3500 m
California counties: Modoc, El Dorado, Tulare, Siskiyou, Lassen, Butte, Plumas, Tehama, Fresno, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Mono, Alpine, Shasta
Outside California: to Wyoming, Arizona
Bloom period
Porterella carnosula blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Downingia: Porterella has yellow ridges on the lower lip; Downingia lacks these ridges.; vs Nemacladus: Porterella has showy blue flowers with yellow ridges; Nemacladus has tiny threadlike flowers.; vs Legenere: Porterella has distinct yellow ridges on blue petals; Legenere has plain white flowers.; vs Lobelia: Porterella is a wetland annual with yellow-ridged flowers; Lobelia is perennial with spherical seed pods.; vs Howellia: Porterella has yellow ridges on blue flowers; Howellia has plain white flowers with 5 separate petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Porterella carnosula native to California?
Yes. Porterella carnosula is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Porterella carnosula bloom?
Porterella carnosula blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Porterella carnosula grow?
Porterella carnosula occurs in Modoc, El Dorado, Tulare, Siskiyou, Lassen, Butte, Plumas, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of 1300-3500 m.
What plant family does Porterella carnosula belong to?
Porterella carnosula is in the Campanulaceae family, genus Porterella.
What habitat does Porterella carnosula grow in?
Porterella carnosula grows in Moist, grassy roadsides, lake and pond edges.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.