Zeltnera trichantha

Alkali centaury

Family: Gentianaceae · Type: annual · Native

Alkali centaury is a California native annual found in northern coastal ranges and San Francisco Bay Area in alkaline and saline flats, around hot springs, and in vernal pools at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers with delicate linear lobes 5 to 10 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 5 to 45 centimeters tall, it spreads in open, moist habitats with a delicate, upright structure. Its cauline leaves are ovate to lanceolate, ranging from 10 to 40 millimeters long, positioned alternately along the thin stems. The plant forms compact, flat-topped clusters of small flowers, creating subtle patches of white in its distinctive alkaline environments.

Habitat: Alkaline and saline flats, dry to moist openings in chaparral, around hot springs, vernal pools

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, SnFrB.

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