Hackelia nervosa
Encyclopedia
Hackelia nervosa is a species of flowering plant in the borage family
known by the common name Sierra stickseed. It is native to the mountains of California
, especially the Sierra Nevada and its foothills, in areas with some moisture up to near treeline. Its range may extend into Nevada
.
Sierra stickseed is a perennial herb starting from basal patches of oblong leaves each up to 12 centimeters long. Erect stems rise to heights between 40 and 70 centimeters, with gradually fewer and smaller leaves toward the tops. The stems hold cyme inflorescence
s of deep sky blue to violet flowers (see top left image); the buds are often pink. Each petite flower has five oblong rounded-end lobes, with a slightly raised appendage at the base of each forming a white ring around the yellow anthers. The flowerheads start off quite compact, but later the stems and petioles elongate to give a more open appearance (image center left). The fruit (the "stickseed") is a nutlet about half a centimeter long, covered with barb-tipped prickles that stick to almost anything (image at lower left), explaining the common name of this genus.
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
known by the common name Sierra stickseed. It is native to the mountains of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, especially the Sierra Nevada and its foothills, in areas with some moisture up to near treeline. Its range may extend into Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Sierra stickseed is a perennial herb starting from basal patches of oblong leaves each up to 12 centimeters long. Erect stems rise to heights between 40 and 70 centimeters, with gradually fewer and smaller leaves toward the tops. The stems hold cyme inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s of deep sky blue to violet flowers (see top left image); the buds are often pink. Each petite flower has five oblong rounded-end lobes, with a slightly raised appendage at the base of each forming a white ring around the yellow anthers. The flowerheads start off quite compact, but later the stems and petioles elongate to give a more open appearance (image center left). The fruit (the "stickseed") is a nutlet about half a centimeter long, covered with barb-tipped prickles that stick to almost anything (image at lower left), explaining the common name of this genus.