Rhinotropis cornuta var. cornuta

Sierra milkwort

Family: Polygalaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Sierra milkwort is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, southern Sierra Nevada, and western Modoc Plateau in moist to dry, open areas of chaparral, woodland, and conifer forest at elevations of 150 to 1,830 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces cream to green or pink flowers with upper sepals that are generally acute or acuminate. Growing with prostrate to erect stems 10 to 100 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive subshrub with varied growth habits. Its leaves are typically twice as long as they are wide, with subtle variations in shape and orientation. The plant is characterized by densely puberulent wings and a delicate floral structure that reflects its adaptability to diverse mountain habitats.

Habitat: Moist to dry, open areas in chaparral, woodland, conifer forest, occasionally on serpentine

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 150-1830 m

Bioregions: KR, CaR, n&ampc SN, s SNH (uncommon), w MP.

California counties: Fresno, Placer, Trinity, Siskiyou, Butte, Amador, Shasta, Nevada, Tulare, Tuolumne, Marin, Tehama, Humboldt, Sierra, El Dorado, Calaveras, Madera, Plumas, San Diego, Ventura, Yuba, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Modoc, Mariposa, Del Norte, Colusa

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