Dwarf Phacelia - Phacelia scopulina
Other Names:
Phacelia lutea var. scopulina
Species of Concern
Global Rank:
G4
State Rank:
SH
* (see reason below)
Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:
MNPS Threat Rank:
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State Rank Reason
Known in Montana from one 1885 collection by P.A. Rydberg near Melrose, probably in Silver Bow County.
General Description
Dwarf Phacelia is an annual that is branched from the base. It has nearly prostrate stems that are up to 2 dm long. The alternate leaves have well-developed petioles and narrowly elliptic blades that are up to 25 mm long. Leaf margins are entire or have a few large, shallow lobes. The foliage has short, spreading hairs. Short-stalked flowers are borne in narrow, 1-sided, curved spikes that unwind as they mature and which originate in the leaf axils. Yellow flowers have a 5-lobed tubular corolla that is 2-5 mm long and 5 strap-shaped, hairy sepals that become longer than the corolla in fruit. Stamens are ca. as long as the corolla tube. The fruit is a many-seeded capsule.
Phenology
Flowering in May or June.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Other prostrate members of Phacelia have more deeply lobed leaves. The yellow flowers are diagnostic for this species. Ours is variety scopulina. Treated as part of P. lutea by some authors.
General Distribution
Summary of Observations Submitted for Montana
Number of Occurrences: 1
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Relative Density
Recency
(Records associated with a range of dates are excluded from time charts)
Distribution Comments
Sw. MT, WY, NV, and OR, south to UT and CA.
Habitat
Habitats in other areas of the species' range is described as "alkaline, usually barren clay or rarely sandy banks and flats in the deserts and foothills."
References
- Additional ReferencesLegend:
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Do you know of a citation we're missing?
Halse, R. R. 1981. Taxonomy of PHACELIA section Miltitzia (Hydrophyllaceae). Madrono 28:121-132.
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