Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa
silky phacelia
Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
silky phacelia
Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
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Map
Distribution of Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa
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Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a branched stem-base and a taproot; stems several, ascending to erect, silky spreading-hairy during flowering otherwise, appressed stiff-hairy to fine grey-hairy, 10-40 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal and lower stem leaves alternate, oblong to oblanceolate in outline, stalked, pinnatifid, the lobes linear-oblong, silky spreading hairy, at least when young, 2-6.5 cm long; middle and upper stem leaves similar, reduced upwards.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a coiled, 1-sided, short, dense, spike-like, terminal cluster; corollas dark blue or purple, hairy inside and out, 5-6 mm long and wide; calyces hairy, the lobes linear; stamens long-exserted, 2-3 times as long as the corolla, glabrous.
Fruits:
Capsules; seeds 8-18, 1-2 mm long, pitted.
Habitat and Range
Dry rocky slopes, scree slopes, talus slopes, meadows and forest openings from the montane to alpine zones; common in and E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains in S BC, rare on Vancouver Island; E to SW AB and S to CO, NV and N CA, reportedly disjunct in E AK.Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Phacelia sericea (Graham) A. Gray