Caterpillar Phacelia
Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida
Color: Pale lavender
Common name: Caterpillar Phacelia
Latin name: Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida
Family: BORAGINACEAE
Height: 18-60 cm
Description: Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida is an upright annual shrub with flower buds that are held in tight, hairy coils which uncoil as the flowers open one by one. The flowering stems' resemblance of caterpillars lends this plant its common name. The stems are ascending to erect, simple to branched, stiff-hairy and glandular.
Leaf: Its foliage is deeply lobed, 2–15 cm long, with spiked segments.
Range: w Desert, South Coast Ranges, Southwestern California
Habitat: Rocky slopes, oak/pine woodland, grassland
Elevation: < 1400 m.
Flowering time: Mar-Jun
Notes: Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida is drought tolerant, making it ideal for xeriscaping. It can be propagated by seed, germination of which may be stimulated with aqueous extracts of charred wood, or the charred wood itself. Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida is a dicot that is native to California. Phacelias can cause dermatitis. This photo was taken on June 18, 2006.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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