''Navarretia heterodoxa'' is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name Calistoga pincushionplant. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

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 ...

, where it grows in the

serpentine soil Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially an ...

s of the hills and mountains. It is a hairy annual herb producing a slender stem up to about 24 centimeters long. It is glandular and emits a

skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gi ...

y scent. The leaves are divided into threadlike or needlelike lobes. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a head of flowers lined with palmate

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s. The flowers are purple and roughly a centimeter long, their corollas divided into five lobes.

External links

Calflora Database: ''Navarretia heterodoxa'' (Calistoga navarretia, Calistoga pincushionplant)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Navarretia heterodoxa''UC Photos gallery — ''Navarretia heterodoxa''
heterodoxa Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Polemoniaceae-stub