Flora of North America species comparison

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Collinsia concolor

Collinsia parviflora

Chinese-houses, white collinsia

blue-eyed Mary, collinsia, few flower blue eyed Mary, maiden blue eyed Mary, small-flower blue-eyed-Mary, small-flower collinsia
Habit Annuals 15–40 cm. Annuals 3–40 cm.
Stems

erect to ascending.

erect to ascending.
Leaf

blades narrowly oblong to widely lanceolate, margins entire, rarely serrate.

blades ± linear-lanceolate, obovate, or narrowly elliptic, margins subentire.
Inflorescences

finely hairy to shaggy, usually finely glandular;

whorls 2–5 on main axis, fewer on lateral branches;

nodes (2 or)3–7-flowered;

flowers crowded;

distalmost bracts linear, 5–6 mm.

glabrous or sparsely and finely glandular;

proximal nodes 1-flowered, distals 3–5(–7)-flowered;

flowers not crowded proximally, sometimes crowded distally;

distalmost bracts linear, 5–6 mm.
Pedicels

ascending to spreading, shorter than calyx, not or scarcely visible.

ascending to reflexed, longer than calyx, visible.
Flowers

calyx lobes oblong to lanceolate, surpassing capsule, apex subacute to acute;

corolla tinged bluish, distally violet to magenta, banner purple-dotted near base, 11–15 mm, banner usually sparsely hairy, keel usually sparsely hairy at tip;

banner length 0.7–0.9 times wings, lobe base without folds, tube longer than diam., hairy inside, lobes obovate, notched;

stamens: abaxial filaments glabrous, rarely hairy, adaxials hairy, basal spur 0(or 1).

calyx lobes ± deltate, equal to capsule, apex sharply acute to acuminate;

corolla blue, banner whitish or blue-tipped, 4–8 mm, glabrous;

banner length 0.8–1 times wings, lobe base without folds;

banner lobes and wings blue, sometimes purplish, oblong, 1(–3) mm wide;

throat barely angled to tube, tube and throat white, narrowed to lips, pouch angular, ± hidden by calyx;

stamens: filaments glabrous, basal spur 0.
Seeds

8–16, round to oval, flattened, 1.5–2 mm, margins slightly thickened, inrolled.

(3 or)4, oblong, 2–2.5 mm, margins thickened, inrolled.
2n

= 14.

= 14, 28, 42.

Collinsia concolor

Collinsia parviflora
Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Openings and margins of chaparral, oak or pinyon-juniper woodlands. Forests, grasslands, meadows, eroded banks, bedrock depressions, scree slopes, shrublands, shaded shorelines.
Elevation 300–1700 m. (1000–5600 ft.) 0–3500 m. (0–11500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MA; MI; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; PA; SD; UT; VT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NS; ON; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Collinsia concolor grows in dry habitats of the Peninsular Ranges. Flowers in tiers of dense whorls with bluish-tinged (or blue-blotched) corollas, a triangular region of purple spots in the adaxial lip, and lack of curved appendages at the bases of the filaments are unique to it. It is frequently confused with C. heterophylla because of morphological similarity and range overlap.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Collinsia parviflora is the closest relative of C. grandiflora and is primarily a plant of moist montane habitats with well-drained, rocky or sandy soil. However, it occurs in a wide range of habitats across its entire range. The species is also the most widespread taxon within Collinsia. Some plants from the western coastal ranges may be difficult to separate from C. grandiflora.

Collinsia parviflora is frequently confused with C. wrightii. The corollas of C. wrightii are distinctly purplish; those of C. parviflora are bright blue. The acute to acuminate sepals of C. parviflora contrast with the blunt, rounded tips of sepals of C. wrightii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 74. FNA vol. 17, p. 66.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Collinsia Plantaginaceae > Collinsia
Sibling taxa
C. antonina, C. bartsiifolia, C. callosa, C. childii, C. corymbosa, C. grandiflora, C. greenei, C. heterophylla, C. latifolia, C. linearis, C. multicolor, C. parryi, C. parviflora, C. rattanii, C. sparsiflora, C. tinctoria, C. torreyi, C. verna, C. violacea, C. wrightii
C. antonina, C. bartsiifolia, C. callosa, C. childii, C. concolor, C. corymbosa, C. grandiflora, C. greenei, C. heterophylla, C. latifolia, C. linearis, C. multicolor, C. parryi, C. rattanii, C. sparsiflora, C. tinctoria, C. torreyi, C. verna, C. violacea, C. wrightii
Synonyms C. grandiflora var. pusilla
Name authority Greene: Erythea 3: 49. (1895) Lindley: Bot. Reg. 13: plate 1082. (1827)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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