Phacelia distans – Distant Phacelia

Phacelia distans - Distant Phacelia, Wild Heliotrope, Blue Phacelia, Distant Scorpion-weed

Phacelia distans - Distant Phacelia, Wild Heliotrope, Blue Phacelia, Distant Scorpion-weed

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Phacelia distans

Synonym: Phacelia cinerea

Common Names: Distant Phacelia, Wild Heliotrope, Blue Phacelia, Distant Scorpion-weed

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual, Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert

Flower Color: Violet-blue to purple, Whitish

Flowering Season: Spring

Height: Up to 18 inches (46 cm) tall

Description: The flowers are atop dense, hairy, terminal, coiled cymes. The individual flowers are tubular, 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide, and have 5 broad, rounded lobes. The leaves are green, alternate, hairy, and variably once or twice pinnately divided, which gives them a fern-like appearance. The stems are reddish and hairy.

The similar Cleftleaf Wildheliotrope (Phacelia crenulata) has scalloped, undivided leaves.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Hydrophyllaceae – Waterleaf family
Genus: Phacelia Juss. – phacelia
Species: Phacelia distans Benth. – distant phacelia

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map