''Githopsis'' is a small

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

bellflower family The family (biology), family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order (biology), order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genus, genera of herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plant, plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees ...

which are known as bluecups. These are small annual wildflowers with white or purple white-throated blooms. Bluecups are native to western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, especially

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. There are four known

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

within the genus.Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution maps
/ref> Species: * '' Githopsis diffusa'' A.Gray - San Gabriel bluecup - California, Baja California, Guadalupe Island * '' Githopsis pulchella'' Vatke - Sierra bluecup - Sacramento Valley of California * ''

Githopsis specularioides ''Githopsis specularioides'' is a flowering plant known by the common name common bluecup. It is an annual herb which bears very small tubular flowers with white throats and five pointed purple petals. It is found on the west coast of North Ameri ...

'' Nutt. - common bluecup - Vancouver Island, Washington, Oregon, California, northern Idaho, northwestern Montana * '' Githopsis tenella'' Morin - tubeflower bluecup - California

References

Campanuloideae Campanulaceae genera {{Campanulaceae-stub