About Navarretia leucocephala Benth.
Navarretia leucocephala Benth. is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family, with the common names whitehead pincushionplant and whitehead navarretia. It is native to North America, where it occurs across much of the western United States and central Canada. It most often grows in wet or moist terrestrial habitats, including vernal pools. This species is an annual herb that grows a slender, hairy stem. The plant has variable appearance: several recognized subspecies differ slightly from one another, and a plant's form also depends on the amount of water available in its habitat. Its leaves are divided into many needle-like lobes. The inflorescence takes the form of a head of flowers lined with leaf-like bracts. Each flower is tubular, reaching up to one centimeter in length, and flower color varies across individuals from white to blue. Two of its California subspecies are rare and federally listed as endangered in the United States. The recognized subspecies are: N. leucocephala ssp. bakeri (Baker's navarretia), an uncommon endemic subspecies limited to regions of California north of the San Francisco Bay Area; N. leucocephala ssp. leucocephala, which can be found in central California and Oregon; N. leucocephala ssp. minima (least navarretia), the most widespread subspecies; N. leucocephala ssp. pauciflora (few-flowered navarretia), an endangered endemic plant known from only around 10 occurrences, limited to California north of the Bay Area; and N. leucocephala ssp. plieantha (many-flowered navarretia), an endangered endemic plant known from about 10 occurrences with the same range as ssp. pauciflora.
