Scientific Family
Hydrophyllaceae
Synonyms
Phacelia neomexicana var. alba
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Phacelia denticulata, P. heterophylla
Height
To about 2-1/3 feet
Riparian
Yes
Hairy plant with upright to curved stems that are single or branched. Green leaves have narrow lobes and appear feather-like. Small bell-shaped flowers are crowded along 1 side of the blooming stalk causing the tip to curl over like a scorpion's tail.
Hairy and glandular throughout; stems usually stout, erect or curved upwards; leaves pinnately divided with narrow lobes; flowers white to pale bluish, in coiled elongated clusters, stamens and styles protrude; seeds excavated on one side, not ridged.
Habitat
Sandy, gravelly, loamy (sand, silt and clay mixture) soils, open brush and woodlands, meadows, roadsides, riparian areas; sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine-Douglas fir and spruce-fir forests.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
5500
High elevation
8500
Flower Characteristics
Flowers are 1/8 to 3/16 inch long, bell-like and grow in dense clusters along 1 side of the blooming stem so that the tips hook over like a coiled scorpion's tail. Stamens extend 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches beyond the petals on slender white thread-like stalks.
Flower color
White to pale bluish
Flower shape
Bell-shaped
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
August
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are oval in outline with the blades growing 3/4 to 4 inches long and 3/4 to 3 inches wide. The blades have deeply divided narrow lobes with the leafstalks as long as or shorter than the blades. Leaf surfaces are hairy and often gland-dotted.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The fruit is a dry, 2-sectioned capsule that splits lengthwise when mature to release the seeds.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Yellowish-brown to brownish
Seeds may be few to many, are brown and about 1/8 inch long with honeycomb-like indentations (pitted) evenly spread across their surface.