Phacelia thermalis
Encyclopedia
Phacelia thermalis is a species of phacelia
known by the common names heated phacelia and hot spring phacelia. It is native to the western United States from northeastern California
to Idaho
, with a disjunct population
in Montana
.
It grows in plateau and mountain habitat in open areas with clay
soils. It is an annual herb with spreading or upright branches up to 45 centimeters long. It is glandular and coated in stiff hairs. The leaves are oval and toothed or divided into segments. The hairy inflorescence
is a one-sided curving or coiling cyme of bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is under half a centimeter long and white to light blue in color.
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 names heated phacelia and hot spring phacelia. It is native to the western United States from northeastern 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...
to Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, with a disjunct population
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
It grows in plateau and mountain habitat in open areas with clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
soils. It is an annual herb with spreading or upright branches up to 45 centimeters long. It is glandular and coated in stiff hairs. The leaves are oval and toothed or divided into segments. The hairy 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 bell-shaped flowers. Each flower is under half a centimeter long and white to light blue in color.