Phacelia Fremontii, Fremont's Phacelia

Phacelia fremontii is an attractive, low growing and relatively common species that inhabits hot, desert regions. Stems grow upright or (more usually) at an angle, branching a few times at the base. The bright green (basal) leaves and the reddish stems have a covering of short hairs, glandular towards the top of the stem. Leaves are oblong in outline, either deeply lobed or fully compound. Stems are significantly longer than the leaves.

The funnel-shaped flowers are borne in a small cluster at the top of the stems; they consist of a relatively small, green, lobed, glandular calyx, and a corolla which is three or four times as long (around half an inch); the tube is usually yellow inside and out, crossed by purplish veins, while the five rounded lobes are pale purple (less often blue or violet), lighter towards the center. In some specimens the throat of the corolla is darker purple rather than yellow. Five hairless yellow stamens are held well below the top of the tube.

Phacelia bicolor is a very similar species; this has finely hairy stamens, more divided leaves, and leaves that are similar in height to the inflorescence.