Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra
(c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Themidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra is a native California herb in the Themidaceae family, recognized by scabrous scape, pale yellow flowers, long pedicels.
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, and Sierra Nevada in scrub edges, mixed and conifer forests, foothill woodlands, and grasslands at elevations of 150 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces straw-colored to pale yellow flowers with 10 to 20 millimeter lobes that are ascending to reflexed. Growing with a scape 20 to 50 centimeters tall that is scabrous, it develops 10 to 50 centimeter leaves. Its leaves are slender and emerge from a basal cluster, adapting to clay and granite soils. The flower's filaments have distinctive appendages that are mostly straight to slightly recurved, with cream or yellow anthers that occasionally display an unusual blue coloration.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species; scabrous scape, pale yellow flowers, long pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Scrub edges, mixed or conifer forest, foothill woodland and grassland, clay, granite soils
Elevation: 150-2200 m
California counties: Fresno, Tulare, Kern, Tuolumne, Butte, Mariposa, Plumas, Sutter, Sacramento, Madera, Yolo, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Mono, Tehama, Shasta, Calaveras, Trinity, Amador, Lake, Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Yuba, Alpine, Santa Barbara
Bloom period
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Brodiaea: Triteleia has six fertile stamens; Brodiaea has only three fertile stamens plus three white petal-like staminodes.; vs Dipterostemon: Triteleia has tubular flowers; Dipterostemon flowers open wide and spreading.; vs Allium: Triteleia has no onion smell; Allium smells like onion when crushed.; vs Bloomeria: Triteleia has tubular flowers; Bloomeria has spreading golden stars with a nectar cup.; vs Muilla: Triteleia flowers form clear tubes; Muilla petals spread wide and nearly separate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra native to California?
Yes. Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra bloom?
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra grow?
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra occurs in Fresno, Tulare, Kern, Tuolumne, Butte, Mariposa, Plumas, Sutter and other counties, at elevations of 150-2200 m.
What plant family does Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra belong to?
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra is in the Themidaceae family, genus Triteleia.
What habitat does Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra grow in?
Triteleia ixioides subsp. scabra grows in Scrub edges, mixed or conifer forest, foothill woodland and grassland, clay, granite soils.
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.