Phacelia viscida
Encyclopedia
Phacelia viscida is a species of phacelia
known by the common names sticky phacelia and tacky phacelia. It is native to the coastal hills and mountains of central and southern California
and Baja California
, where it grows in local habitat types such as coastal sage scrub
, chaparral
, and recently burned
areas.
It is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near 70 centimeters. It is glandular and sticky and coated in soft and stiff hairs. The leaves have toothed oval blades borne on petioles
. The hairy, glandular inflorescence
is a curving cyme of five-lobed flowers. Each flower is up to 2 centimeters wide and nearly white to deep blue in color with a paler, mottled center. The five protruding stamen
s are tipped with white anthers.
Phacelia
Phacelia is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America....
known by the common names sticky phacelia and tacky phacelia. It is native to the coastal hills and mountains of central and southern 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...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja 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...
, where it grows in local habitat types such as coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
, 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 recently burned
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
areas.
It is an annual herb growing erect to a maximum height near 70 centimeters. It is glandular and sticky and coated in soft and stiff hairs. The leaves have toothed 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, glandular 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 curving cyme of five-lobed flowers. Each flower is up to 2 centimeters wide and nearly white to deep blue in color with a paler, mottled center. The five protruding stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s are tipped with white anthers.