Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability
Distribution Map

The colors below indicate the kind of documentation available for this species in the California counties where it occurs.

 

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Bird's Eye Gilia
Gilia tricolor
(Polemoniaceae)

There are five pairs of purple spots or "eyes" in the throat of Bird's Eye Gilia. These spots, which are best seen in profile view, punctuate the color change from the violet lobes above to the bright yellow throat below. The open branching pattern of this species and its finely lobed leaves appear to present the flowers to their best advantage to potential pollinators. At times the flower clusters appear to be suspended in mid-air against the backdrop of a grassy field.

DISTRIBUTION: Open grassy hills and valleys from the North and South Coast Ranges to the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada Foothills; < 1200 m.
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