Phacelia parishii
Encyclopedia
Phacelia parishii is an uncommon species of phacelia
known by the common name Parish's phacelia. It is native to the desert southwest of the United States, where it is known from scattered occurrences in Nevada
and Arizona
, and about two occurrences in California
. It grows in desert scrub and alkali soils
such as in playas, barren dry lake
s, and gypsum
beds.
It is an annual herb growing a spreading, erect stem up to 15 centimeters tall. It is coated in soft, short, glandular hairs. The leaves, which spread around the lower stem, are up to 3 centimeters long with oval blades with smooth or faintly toothed edges. The small, fuzzy inflorescence
is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of narrow bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is about half a centimeter long and light purple in color with a yellowish tubular throat.
Phacelia
Phacelia is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America....
known by the common name Parish's phacelia. It is native to the desert southwest of the United States, where it is known from scattered occurrences in 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...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and about two occurrences in 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...
. It grows in desert scrub and alkali soils
Alkali soils
Alkali, or alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH , a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate...
such as in playas, barren dry lake
Dry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
s, and gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
beds.
It is an annual herb growing a spreading, erect stem up to 15 centimeters tall. It is coated in soft, short, glandular hairs. The leaves, which spread around the lower stem, are up to 3 centimeters long with oval blades with smooth or faintly toothed edges. The small, fuzzy 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...
is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of narrow bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is about half a centimeter long and light purple in color with a yellowish tubular throat.