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Pronunciation: JEE-lee-a (or GIL-ee-a*) KAY-na spes-i-FOR-mis
Common name: Showy gilia
Family: Polemoniaceae (Phlox)
Habitat: Most commonly on basaltic gravel and sand to 7000', Mojave Desert
Blooming period: March to May
Name derivations: 1) Gilia 2) cana 3) speciformis
*When an epithet is derived from a personal name, an attempt should be made to preserve the pronunciation of the original name, which in this case is Gilii. In Italian a ‘g’ before an ‘i’ has a soft rather than a hard sound, and ‘i’ is pronounced as ‘ee’, so Gilia should properly be said as ‘JEE-lee-uh.’ Most people however will continue to say it as GIL-ee-a.