Collinsia grandiflora
Collinsia sparsiflora
blue-lips blue-eyed Mary, giant blue eyed Mary, large-flower blue-eyed Mary, large-flower collinsia
few-flower blue-eyed Mary, few-flower collinsia, spinster's blue eyed Mary
erect to ascending.
erect to ascending.
blades narrowly oblong to lanceolate, margins subentire.
blades usually linear to oblong, margins entire.
glabrous or finely glandular to scaly-hairy;
nodes 1–6(–8)-flowered;
flowers not crowded proximally, sometimes crowded distally;
distalmost bracts linear, 5–6(+) mm.
glabrous or finely hairy, eglandular;
nodes 1- or 2(or 3)-flowered;
flowers not crowded;
distalmost bracts linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–4(+) mm.
ascending to reflexed, proximals usually longer than calyx, visible.
ascending to spreading, usually longer than calyx, visible.
calyx lobes ± deltate, equal to capsule, apex acuminate;
corolla bluish, banner pale at center, 8–15 mm, keel glabrous;
banner length 0.8–1 times wings, lobe base without folds;
banner lobes and wings widely obovate, usually 2–6 mm wide;
throat strongly angled to tube, longer than diam., pouch prominent, angular;
stamens: filaments glabrous, basal spur 0.
calyx lobes narrowly triangular to lanceolate, surpassing capsule, apex sharply acute to acuminate;
corolla lavender to purple, rarely white, 5–20 mm, keel sparsely hairy near tip;
banner length 0.8–0.9 times wings, lobe base without folds;
banner lobes and wings oblong to obovate, entire or notched;
stamens: abaxial filaments glabrous or sparsely long-hairy at base, adaxials sparsely spreading-hairy on proximal 1/2, basal spur 0.
with red blotches.
(3 or)4, oblong, 2–2.5 mm, margins thickened, inrolled.
4–12, round, flattened, 2–3 mm, margins thin, not inrolled.
= 14, 28, 42.
Collinsia grandiflora
Collinsia sparsiflora
Collinsia grandiflora occurs mostly in the coastal ranges. The distinction between C. grandiflora and C. parviflora is usually clear in California where corolla lobe shape and size are mostly well correlated. The distinction is much less clear in British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington.
An alternative to the treatment here would be to follow F. R. Ganders and G. R. Krause (1986), who suggested that Collinsia grandiflora and C. parviflora be treated as one species with two intergrading varieties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Collinsia sparsiflora occurs in open habitats and woodland edges; it is easily recognized by the red blotches on fruits and the frequent occurrence of a single flower per node. In immature plants, the presence of a red band spanning the circumference of the base of the calyx lobes along with the relatively frequent occurrence of a single flower per node distinguishes C. sparsiflora.
V. M. Newsom (1929) recognized five varieties in Collinsia sparsiflora.
Two varieties are recognized here to accommodate the general pattern of locally distinct small- and large-flowered populations of Collinsia sparsiflora. Where these taxa are sympatric, the author has not found intermediates that suggest local interbreeding.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corollas 9–20 mm, angles between corolla tube-throat and calyx 45–70°; seeds 2.5–3 mm. | var. sparsiflora |
1. Corollas 5–9 mm, angles between corolla tube-throat and calyx 30–45°; seeds 2–2.3(–2.5) mm. | var. collina |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
