Phacelia parryi  Torr.                                                                                  Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf Family)                                                                                                Native                                                                                                    Parry's Phacelia

                               March Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual, mostly 1-4 dm. high, hirsute and glandular-pubescent throughout, simple or few branched; lvs. ovate to somewhat oblong, 1.5-5 cm. long, dentate, the lower petioles longer than the blades, cauline lvs. somewhat reduced upward; cymes open, many fld., pedicels 1-2 cm. long; calyx-lobes linear-spatulate, 5-8 mm. long, enlarging somewhat in fr.; corolla dark purple to violet, with paler center, open-campanulate to almost rotate, 1-2 cm. long, deciduous; stamens 1-2 cm. long with basal wings on pubescent fils.; style 1-2 cm. long, cleft in upper third; caps 6-10 mm. long, glandular-hirsutulous; seeds many, pitted, ca. 0.7 mm. long.

Habitat: Dry slopes and disturbed places like burns, below 2500 (4000)ft.  Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub; cismontane from Monterey Co. to L. Calif., w. edge of Colo. Desert.  March-May.

Name:  Greek, phakelos, a cluster, because of the crowded flowers.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 502).  Named for Charles Christopher Parry, 1823-1890, American botanical explorer.  (Bailey 49).

General:  Found only around the Interpretive Center where it was seeded with a hydromulch mix in 2001. Grown horticulturally and listed in Bailey’s Manual of Cultivated Plants.  (my comments).

Text Ref:  Bailey 830; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 514; Hickman, Ed. 704.

Photo Ref: Oct 02-June 03 # 16,17,18.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 541.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 9/6/03.

                                             March Photo