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Taxon  Report  
Navarretia leucocephala  Benth.
White headed navarretia,   Whitehead navarretia
Navarretia leucocephala is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Navarretia
Family: Polemoniaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs in wetlands

Communities: Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Information about  Navarretia leucocephala from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (NALE)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Description, Subspecies: Navarretia leucocephala is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name whitehead pincushionplant, or whitehead navarretia. It is native to North America, including much of the western United States and central Canada. It generally grows in wet or moist terrestrial habitat such as vernal pools. It is an annual herb producing a slender, hairy stem. The plant's appearance is variable, and there are several subspecies that differ slightly. The appearance of the plant also depends on the amount of water available in its habitat. The leaves are divided into many needlelike lobes. The inflorescence is a head of flowers lined with leaflike bracts. Each tubular flower is up to a centimeter long. The flowers vary in color from white to blue. Two rare California subspecies are federally listed as endangered species in the United States. Subspecies: N. l. ssp. bakeri (Baker's navarretia) - an uncommon subspecies limited-endemic to California north of the Bay Area N. l. ssp. leucocephala - can be found in central California and Oregon N. l. ssp. minima (least navarretia) - the most widespread subspecies N. l. ssp. pauciflora (few-flowered navarretia) - endangered plant known from about 10 occurrences endemic to California north of the Bay Area N. l. ssp. plieantha (many-flowered navarretia) - endangered plant known from about 10 occurrences endemic to the same range as ssp. pauciflora (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/23/2024).