Phacelia phacelioides
Encyclopedia
Phacelia phacelioides, the Mt. Diablo phacelia, is a species of phacelia
. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from about 20 occurrences in the coastal mountain ranges of the inner San Francisco Bay Area
, including Mount Diablo. It is a resident of chaparral
and woodland habitat.
The Mt. Diablo phacelia, Phacelia phacelioides, is an annual herb growing an upright, mostly unbranched stem up to 20 centimeters long. It is coated in soft and stiff hairs. The leaves are up to 8 or 10 centimeters long with rounded or oval blades borne on petioles
. The hairy inflorescence
is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of narrow bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is roughly half a centimeter long and white to lavender in color, sometimes with darker purple streaks. It is surrounded by a calyx of long, densely hairy sepal
s.
Phacelia
Phacelia is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America....
. It is endemic to California
California
California 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...
, where it is known from about 20 occurrences in the coastal mountain ranges of the inner San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The 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...
, including Mount Diablo. It is a resident of chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and woodland habitat.
The Mt. Diablo phacelia, Phacelia phacelioides, is an annual herb growing an upright, mostly unbranched stem up to 20 centimeters long. It is coated in soft and stiff hairs. The leaves are up to 8 or 10 centimeters long with rounded or oval blades borne on petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The hairy 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...
is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of narrow bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is roughly half a centimeter long and white to lavender in color, sometimes with darker purple streaks. It is surrounded by a calyx of long, densely hairy sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s.