| Minuartia californica | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Minuartia |
| Species: | M. californica |
| Binomial name | |
| Minuartia californica (A.Gray) Mattf. |
|
Minuartia californica is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common name California sandwort. It is native to valleys, foothills, and mountains in Oregon and California, where it grows in many types of habitat, including chaparral, vernal pools, and roadsides. This is a small annual herb producing a hair-thin stem no more than 12 centimeters tall, in erect or spreading, branching form. The narrow leaves are just a few millimeters long and under 2 millimeters wide. The tiny flower has five white petals and five veined, pointed sepals.