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Phacelia (5)

See also Purple Fringe and Varileaf Scorpion Weed.

Phacelia integrifolia

Gypsum Scorpionweed
Phacelia integrifolia

Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
AKA: Gypsum Phacelia, Gypsum Blue Curls
Photo taken on: May 11, 2012
Location: White Rock, NM
Life Zones: Foothills
Habitat: Dry sandy areas, roadsides

Grows to 20" in height with a stout, sticky, hairy stem and leaves with scalloped edges. Flowers have five purple protruding stamens and grow in tight coils which open out like a scorpion's tail. The photo below at left is the same plant 11 days later.arrow

Phacelia integrifolia

There were several albino plants growing within a colony of the usual colored phacelias.

Photo taken on: June 5, 2019
Location: Abiquiu Lake, NM

Phacelia hastata

Silverleaf Phacelia
Phacelia hastata

Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
AKA:  Silverleaf Scorpionweed, Whiteleaf Phacelia
Photo taken on: July 4, 2006
Location: Poverty Gulch, GV, CO
Life Zones: Subalpine to alpine
Habitat: Open rocky areas, meadows

Grows to 20". Leaves are simple, grayish-green from the silvery hairs that cover them. Flowers are lavender to dull purple in tight coils with long stamens.

Phacelia hastata var. alpina

Silverleaf Phacelia
Phacelia hastata var. alpina

Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
AKA: Whiteleaf Phacelia
Photo taken on: July 28, 2008
Location: Old Monarch Pass, CO
Life Zones: Alpine
Habitat: Open rocky areas, scree

Low, spreading plant with short, clusters of tiny flowers. Leaves are covered in white hairs.

Phacelia glandulosa

Glandular Phacelia
Phacelia glandulosa

Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on: July 16, 2013
Location: Alpine Loop, W of Lake City, CO
Life Zones: Subalpine to alpine
Habitat: Gravelly, rocky areas

Grows to 15" with deeply cut leaves. I thought this was Phacelia tanacetifolia but that does not grow where I found it. It is covered in sticky hairs and is strongly scented.

Glandular Phacelia

Phacelia crenulata

Cleftleaf Wildheliotrope
Phacelia crenulata

Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
AKA: Scorpionweed, Scalloped Phacelia, Caterpillarweed,
 Notch-leaf Scorpion-weed

Photo taken on: April 29, 2014
Location: Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones: Foothills
Habitat: Canyons, sandy, gravelly areas

Grows 6 to 18" high with sticky, hairy green leaves that smell of onions when crushed. The leaves are shorter and wider than P. integrifolia and have notches rather than scalloped edges. Flowers are ½" across and can have a white throat. Stamens are gold-tipped rather than the blue of P. integrifolia.

Blue/Purple Round Clusters