A N F Keys
1 Spinescent perennials
2 Shrubs 30−100 cm tall, flowering during springtime and dormant during summer; leaves and bracts palmately lobed with sharp tips; flowers 27−33 mm across, reddish purple to bright rose or dark rose lavender (white); calyx 9−10 mm long, lobes subequal .. Linanthus californicus [pics]
2' Suffrutescent perennials 5−30 cm tall; flowering during hot summer months; leaves and bracts pinnately lobed; flowers 8−10.5 mm across, blue-violet; calyx 4.5−5.5 mm long, lobes unequal (1 lobe obviously shorter) .. Eriastrum densifolium subsp. elongatum [pics]
1' Annuals
3 Leaves opposite (at least below principal inflorescence)
4 Blades entire
5 Plants diminutive with linear to threadlike leaves and showy flowers (sometimes larger than the rest of the plant); corolla lobes obovate, 6−9(−15) mm long .. Linanthus dianthiflorus [pics]
5' Plants wispy with narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate leaves (1.5−5 mm wide) and slender, inconspicuous flowers; corolla lobes narrowly heart-shaped, 1.2−2 mm long .. Microsteris gracilis [pics]
4' Blades deeply palmately lobed (leaves sometimes appearing whorled) with at least 3 lobes, leaves in a pair fused and sheathlike across node .. Leptosiphon
3' Leaves typically alternate
6 Bracts conspicuous in inflorescence (bracteate), often stiff; calyx lobes ± unequal; anthers whitish to pale yellow (blue in spinescent Navarretia hamata subsp. hamata)
7 Plants ± spinescent (leaves, bracts, and calyx); inflorescence densely glandular-hairy, calyx with glandular hairs on both surfaces; corolla white to violet often with purple spots or veins .. Navarretia
7' Plants not spinescent; inflorescence densely white-woolly, calyx woolly on outer surface; corolla blue to violet and lacking any purple .. Eriastrum
6' Bracts not conspicuous in inflorescence and bractlets lacking beneath individual flowers; calyx lobes equal to subequal; anthers blue
8 Blade segments of upper leaves typically to 1 mm wide, lacking skunklike odor; flowers radial, 5.5−12 mm across; stamens attached at ± same level on corolla (equally inserted), anthers all positioned at the same level
9 Pedicels with glandular hairs having comparatively small heads .. Gilia
9' Pedicels having ± tack-shaped glandular hairs with yellowish heads .. Saltugilia splendens subsp. splendens [pics]
8' Blade segments of upper leaves mostly 2−3.5 mm wide, having a skunklike odor from glandular hairs having small heads; flowers weakly bilateral, 4−5 mm across; stamens attached at different levels to corolla near base (unequally inserted), anthers not positioned at the same level and the longest ones conspicuously exserted .. Allophyllum glutinosum [pics]
Eriastrum Wooton
& Standl.
WOOL STAR
1 Suffrutescent perennials; leaves commonly with > 4 lobes, the central lobe mostly > 35 mm long; calyx often purple with membranous panels, 4.5−5.5 mm long; corolla 14+ mm long, lobes lanceolate, 4−5.2 mm long, blue-violet; capsules with 1 seed per chamber, 2−4 mm long; seeds narrowly ellipsoid to lanceoloid, 1.6−2.5 mm long .. Eriastrum densifolium subsp. elongatum [pics]
1' Taprooted annuals; leaves with < 5 lobes, the central lobe to 32 mm long; calyx green with membranous panels; corolla to 12 mm long, lobes not lanceolate; seeds 1−1.5 mm long
2 Calyx 5−6 mm long with lobes 0.5−1.5 mm long; corolla 8−12 mm long, lobes elliptic to oblong, 3−6 mm long, bright violet to deep blue; pollen white; capsule with 1 seed per chamber, 2−3.5 mm long; seeds ellipsoid to lanceoloid .. Eriastrum sapphirinum subsp. sapphirinum [pics]
2' Calyx 6−8 mm long with lobes 1.5−3 mm long; corolla 7−9 mm long, lobes oblanceolate to elliptic, 2.5−3.2 mm long, moderate purple to violet; pollen pale yellow; capsule with 3−5 seeds per chamber, 4−5 mm long; seeds ± trapezoid .. Eriastrum filifolium [pics]
1 Cymes with > 8 flowers; style long-exserted above anthers
2 Inflorescence a dense, ball-like cluster, mostly 20+ mm across, with shaggy hairs; style with 3 short stigmatic branches; valves of capsules detaching to release seeds .. Gilia capitata subsp. abrotanifolia [pics]
2' Inflorescence hemi-spheroidal, < 15 mm across, glandular-hairy; style branches 2−2.5 mm long; valves not detaching to release seeds .. Gilia achilleifolia
1' Cymes with 1−10 flowers in a ± open arrangement; style included to somewhat exserted
3 Calyx tube + throat 2−3.5 mm long, membranous panels with purple; corolla with 5 purple or dark violet streaks from upper yellow throat to lobes; pistil ± 3.5 mm long; capsules 4−4.5 mm long and nearly = calyx .. Gilia clivorum [pics]
3' Calyx tube + throat ± 1.5 mm long, membranous panels lacking purple; corolla lacking dark streaks in throat; pistil ± 6 mm long; capsules ca. 3 mm long and < calyx .. Gilia angelensis [pics]
NB. There is considerable variation in gilias within range, from site to site and between good and poor rain years, so it is still unclear how many species and subspecies should be listed. For example, in 2010 a population was discovered by SMMNRA staff growing in full sun on a rocky slope along Triumfo Canyon Road in Westlake Village (SMM), occurring with many other native herbs on very thin soil. It has 3-seeded capsules and resembles Gilia but could also be a non-spinescent species of Navarretia, e.g., N. leptalea (A. Gray) L. A. Johnson; unfortunately, the plant has not appeared in subsequent dry years, and needs to be studied more carefully. This unidentified polemon has dark lavender to pink corolla lobes, light violet filaments ca. 0.8 mm long having light blue anthers, and an included pistil with the stigmas positioned several millimeters below the anthers.
1 Flowers clustered in terminal heads (dense cymes); corolla with a slender tube
2 Blade lobes lacking hairs; flowers 8−9(−11) mm across; corolla in range white often with bright yellow at base; stamens with filaments 2−2.5 mm long and anthers 1−2.2 mm long .. Leptosiphon parviflorus [pics]
2' Blade lobes ciliate; flowers 5−6 mm across; corolla in range purplish red; stamens with filaments ± 1.5 mm long and anthers 0.4−0.9 mm long .. Leptosiphon ciliatus [pics]
1' Flowers not clustered in terminal heads
3 Plants wispy, 10−55 cm tall and inconspicuously leafy; flowers 7−12 mm across, pale bluish violet .. Leptosiphon liniflorus [pics]
3' Plants diminutive, 2−10 cm tall; flowers ca. 2.5 mm across, white .. Leptosiphon pygmaeus subsp. continentalis
1 Ephemeral annuals, 2−18 cm tall, with slender, wiry stems; leaves paired and linear or threadlike, 3−20 mm long; flowers often larger than rest of plant, 9−30 mm across, on pedicels initially 5−8 mm long; corolla mostly lavender, pink, or rose, or white at tips, with a purple ring in throat becoming 5 wedge-shaped or heart-shaped spots; filaments 5−7 mm long; style 8.5−10 mm long .. Linanthus dianthiflorus [pics]
1' Spinescent shrubs, 30−100 cm tall; leaves sharp-tipped and tufted on unexpanded axillary shoots, deeply palmately divided nearly to base with (3)5 or 7(9) lobes, to 12 mm long; flowers scattered in canopy and mostly subsessile at anthesis; corolla mostly reddish purple, bright rose, or dark rose-lavender (white) with throat alternating reddish purple and white; filaments to 2 mm long; style ± 4.5 mm long .. Linanthus californicus [pics]
1 Plants mildly spinescent; corolla lobes cream or light violet to violet with a deep purple W-shaped spot at base; stamens 3−4.5 mm long within a flower; style exserted, to 9 mm long; capsules 1-seeded .. Navarretia mitracarpa [pics]
1' Plants strongly spinescent fresh or dried; corolla pale pink to light or dark violet but lacking W-shaped spot; stamens and styles shorter than stated above; capsules many-seeded
2 Shoots glandular-tomentose aging without heads, pleasantly aromatic with subtle, honeylike fragrance; corolla 5.5−7 mm long, lobes light violet aging violet with 5−7 purple veins radiating from base; style included, 0.8−1.2 mm long; capsules 2.8−3.1 mm long .. Navarretia mellita [pics]
2' Shoots with stalked glandular hairs of mixed lengths, with faint skunklike odor; capsules 2−2.5 mm long, when immature often with 3 red stripes
3 Corolla lobes light violet with white at base (all white) aging and drying darker; style ± 7.5 mm long .. Navarretia hamata subsp. hamata [pics]
3' Corolla lobes pale pink, sometimes with purplish spotting on lower surface; style 3.2−4 mm long .. Navarretia hamata subsp. leptantha [pics]
NB. Populations of Navarretia throughout the range need much more study to sort out identifications and degree of variability. Problems to study this group include the oddity that this group blooms during the dry season, when botanists tend not to be out collecting plants in southern California. Populations are also small and widely dispersed, and are undependable as to in what year they will germinate. Materials from range until now have not received much notice, whereas our populations may provide insight into how broadly species should be defined.
The text of the above keys used with permission from
A Naturalist's Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013