Scientific Family
Scrophulariaceae
Synonyms
Antirrhinum tenellum, Collinsia grandiflora var. pusilla, Collinsia parviflora var. minima , Collinsia tenella
Other common names
small-flower Blue-Eyed Mary
littleflower collinsia
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
To 1 foot
Riparian
Yes
A small, usually less than 1 foot tall, widely branched plant with an open cluster of tiny, blue and white, bilaterally symmetrical flowers on slender stalks.
Annual herb; stems lie along ground then ascend or are erect, simple or branched, reddish purple; leaves opposite or whorled, tapering, green above and purplish beneath, margins entire; flower upper lip white, lower lip blue, crested at throat.
Habitat
Found in moist soils, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, aspen stands, ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Low elevation
4000
High elevation
8000
Flower Characteristics
2 whitish, rounded, upper lobes flaring upward; 2 deep blue lower lobes with a purplish lobe between, extend forward. Tubular, to 1/8 inch wide and 3/8 inch long. In terminal, leafy cluster on stem, initially dense, becoming elongated.
Flower color
Blue and white
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
February
Last bloom month
June
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves dark green above, purplish beneath, lance-shaped, in whorles at flower clusters, opposite on lower stem, to 1-1/2 inches long. Stems are reddish-purple.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Dark green, purplish beneath
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
Yes
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Capsule, ovoid or elliptical, 1/8 inch long.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Brown
Seeds 2 per locule, small, brown.