Gilia capitata
Encyclopedia
Gilia capitata is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family
known by the common names bluehead gilia, blue field gilia, and globe gilia. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska
to northern Mexico, and it can be found on the eastern side of the continent as an introduced species
. It grows in many habitats, especially in sandy or rocky soils.
This wildflower is somewhat variable in appearance, with branching, leafy stems reaching anywhere from 10 to 90 centimeters in maximum height and sometimes having glandular hairs on the fleshy herbage. The leaves are divided into toothed or lobed leaflets. Atop the branches of the thick stem are spherical inflorescence
s of 50 to 100 small flowers. Each flower has a throat opening into a spreading corolla which may be white, pink, lavender, or light blue. The stamen
s protrude slightly from the flower's mouth and are white with white, blue, or pink anthers.
There are several subspecies, including:
Polemoniaceae
Polemoniaceae are a family of about 25 genera with 270-400 species of annual and perennial plants, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity in western North America, especially in California.Only one genus is found in Europe, and two in Asia, where they...
known by the common names bluehead gilia, blue field gilia, and globe gilia. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to northern Mexico, and it can be found on the eastern side of the continent as an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. It grows in many habitats, especially in sandy or rocky soils.
This wildflower is somewhat variable in appearance, with branching, leafy stems reaching anywhere from 10 to 90 centimeters in maximum height and sometimes having glandular hairs on the fleshy herbage. The leaves are divided into toothed or lobed leaflets. Atop the branches of the thick stem are spherical inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s of 50 to 100 small flowers. Each flower has a throat opening into a spreading corolla which may be white, pink, lavender, or light blue. The stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s protrude slightly from the flower's mouth and are white with white, blue, or pink anthers.
There are several subspecies, including:
- G. c. ssp. abrotanifolia - native to CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North... - G. c. ssp. capitata - occurs throughout the range of the species
- G. c. ssp. chamissonis (dune gilia) - endemic to the sand dunes of California's central coast; bears bright blue-violet flowers
- G. c. ssp. mediomontana - native to the Sierra Nevada
- G. c. ssp. pacifica - grows along the coastline of OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and California - G. c. ssp. pedemontana - native to the Sierra Nevada foothills
- G. c. ssp. staminea - found in California and ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
- G. c. ssp. tomentosa - a rare subspecies known from a few occurrences just north of the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...