Phacelia parryi is a species in the Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Not) family known by the common name Parry’s Phacelia. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal and inland mountain ranges and deserts. It is found in many types of local habitats, such as coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and open, recently burned slopes. It is an annual herb growing a mostly erect stem 10 to 70 centimeters long. It is hairy and coated in soft and stiff glandular hairs. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long with toothed oval blades borne on petioles. The flower cluster is a cyme of widely bell-shaped flowers each 1 to 2 centimeters long. The flower is purple in color, sometimes with pale coloration in the throat, and an arrangement of five white spots. The five protruding stamens are hairy and tipped with white anthers. It is typically grown from seed with other annuals.
This species can be easily confused with Phacelia minor, and their ranges overlap, though more easily distinguished when in flower. It should be noted that there are a very large number of species in the genus Phacelia. Most are annuals. Gardeners should look for species appropriate to their area and garden conditions.
Phacelia parryi
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