''Gilia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of between 25 and 50 species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

Polemoniaceae The Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 25 genera with 270–400 species of annuals and perennials native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversit ...

family and is related to

phlox ''Phlox'' (; Greek φλόξ "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", Greek φλόγες ''phlóges'') is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in di ...

. These Western native plants are best sown in sunny, well-draining soil in the temperate and tropical regions of the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, where they occur mainly in desert or semi-desert

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s They are summer

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

s, rarely

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

s, growing to 10–120 cm tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, usually pinnate (rarely simple), forming a basal rosette in most species. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are produced in a panicle, with a five-lobed corolla, which can be blue, white, pink or yellow. ''Gilia'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including ''

Schinia aurantiaca ''Schinia aurantiaca'' is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in North America, including California and Arizona. The wingspan is about 17 mm. The larvae feed on '' Eriastrum sapphirinum'' and ''Gilia ''Gilia'' is a genus of ...

'' and ''

Schinia biundulata ''Schinia biundulata'' is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in western North America, including Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Utah. The wingspan is 20–22 mm. Food ''Gilia cana'' is used as an exclusive ...

'' (the latter feeds exclusively on ''G. cana''). ;Selected species:

References

Flora of Chile: ''Gilia'' (pdf file)
Flora of North America Polemoniaceae genera {{Polemoniaceae-stub