Triodanis biflora
Venus looking glass
(c) Melissa McMasters, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Campanulaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Triodanis biflora (Venus looking glass) is a native California herb in the Campanulaceae family.
Venus looking glass is a California native annual found in the Central West Coast and Central Coast Ranges in disturbed areas at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale blue to white flowers with delicate corolla lobes 4 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems up to 30 centimeters tall, it forms a compact, somewhat branching habit. Its leaves are small, measuring 5 to 15 millimeters long with acute tips and subtle veining. The fruit develops with small pores near the top, characteristic of this subtle yet charming wildflower.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; key differentiators are leaf venation, leaf tip shape, and number of flowering nodes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 2000 m
California counties: Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Plumas, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Fresno, Lake, San Diego, Tehama, Humboldt, Contra Costa, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Siskiyou, Butte, Glenn, El Dorado, Madera, Solano, Trinity, San Joaquin, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Marin, Napa, Tuolumne, Del Norte, San Mateo, Ventura, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Yolo, Colusa
Outside California: to central and southern United States, South America
Bloom period
Triodanis biflora blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Campanula: Campanula is perennial with stalked bells; Triodanis is annual with flat wheels pressed directly to stem.; vs Brodiaea: Brodiaea grows from a corm with 6-petaled flowers; Triodanis is an annual with 5-lobed wheels.; vs Asyneuma: Asyneuma has multiple star flowers per node; Triodanis has single flat wheels pressed to stem.; vs Heterocodon: Heterocodon flowers are tiny tubes 3-5mm with big leafy sepals; Triodanis has 5-10mm flat wheels.; vs Githopsis: Githopsis flowers sit at stem tips; Triodanis flowers press directly against stem in leaf joints.
Frequently asked questions
Is Triodanis biflora native to California?
Yes. Triodanis biflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Triodanis biflora bloom?
Triodanis biflora blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Triodanis biflora grow?
Triodanis biflora occurs in Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Plumas, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of < 2000 m.
What plant family does Triodanis biflora belong to?
Triodanis biflora is in the Campanulaceae family, genus Triodanis.
What habitat does Triodanis biflora grow in?
Triodanis biflora grows in Disturbed areas.
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.