Sabulina nuttallii
Nuttall's sandwort
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sabulina nuttallii (Nuttall's sandwort) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by parent species with varieties listed separately.
Nuttall's sandwort is a California native perennial herb found in mat-forming clusters with trailing stems up to 60 centimeters long. Flowering from spring to summer, this plant produces delicate white flowers with sepals 3.5 to 7 millimeters long. Growing densely glandular-hairy with a robust taproot over 3 millimeters in diameter, it forms low-growing mats 2 to 20 centimeters tall. Its leaves are distinctive needle-like to awl-shaped structures, 5 to 12 millimeters long and less than 1.1 millimeters wide, appearing rigid and evenly spaced along the stems. The seeds are small, measuring 1.5 to 2.2 millimeters with thick margins in red-brown to dark brown coloration.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; parent species with varieties listed separately
Habitat and range
California counties: Modoc, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Los Angeles, Plumas, San Bernardino, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Fresno, Inyo, Mono, Tulare, Lake, Mendocino, Madera, El Dorado
Frequently asked questions
Is Sabulina nuttallii native to California?
Yes. Sabulina nuttallii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Sabulina nuttallii grow?
Sabulina nuttallii occurs in Modoc, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Los Angeles, Plumas, San Bernardino, Tehama, Trinity and other counties.
What plant family does Sabulina nuttallii belong to?
Sabulina nuttallii is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Sabulina.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.