Common name:
Sky blue phacelia
Family:
Scientific name:
Phacelia coerulea
Synonym:
Phacelia caerulea
Main flower color:
Range:
From California (a small area) to west Texas
Height:
Up to 15 inches
Habitat:
Open areas, sandy or rocky, desert scrub; up to 6,000 feet
Leaves:
Alternate, oblong, on short stalks, lobed and/or toothed. Up to 3 inches long
Season:
April to May
Leaves of phacelia coerulea tend to be lobed around the base, coarsely toothed above. They and the stems, and calyces, are covered by short glandular hairs and longer silky hairs. Stems grow upright, and may branch from the base, to heights of around one foot.
The inflorescence is a one-sided cluster of small flowers, initially coiled, but straight when mature. The calyx is divided into five approximately equal-sized, oblong lobes, green or reddish-purple. The corolla lobes are about twice as long, 0.2 inches, blue to pale purple. The five stamens have hairless purple filaments and creamy-white anthers, and rise to the same height as the lobes. The light purple style is shorter.
The inflorescence is a one-sided cluster of small flowers, initially coiled, but straight when mature. The calyx is divided into five approximately equal-sized, oblong lobes, green or reddish-purple. The corolla lobes are about twice as long, 0.2 inches, blue to pale purple. The five stamens have hairless purple filaments and creamy-white anthers, and rise to the same height as the lobes. The light purple style is shorter.
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