The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Greene's blue-eyed Mary, Greene's collinsia

blue-eyed Mary, collinsia, few flower blue eyed Mary, maiden blue eyed Mary, small-flower blue-eyed-Mary, small-flower collinsia

Habit Annuals 10–30 cm. Annuals 3–40 cm.
Stems

erect to ascending.

erect to ascending.

Leaf

blades narrowly lanceolate to ovate or oblanceolate, margins entire or serrate.

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

Inflorescences

glandular;

nodes 1–5-flowered;

flowers crowded or not;

distalmost bracts linear, 2–3 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, proximalmost sometimes longer than calyx, distalmost equal to or shorter than calyx, visible or not.

ascending to reflexed, longer than calyx, visible.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate to ovate, surpassing capsule, apex subacute to rounded;

corolla ± uniformly dark purple, rarely pale pinkish purple, 10–15 mm, sparsely glandular;

banner length 0.5 times wings, base with 2-crested, crescent-shaped folds extending 1–1.5 mm from throat opening;

stamens: filaments glabrous, adaxials sometimes hairy, basal spur 0.

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

2–4, oval, 2–3 mm, margins thin, not inrolled.

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

2n

= 14.

= 14, 28, 42.

Collinsia greenei

Collinsia parviflora

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul(–Aug). Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Open chaparral or coniferous forests, serpentine slopes. Forests, grasslands, meadows, eroded banks, bedrock depressions, scree slopes, shrublands, shaded shorelines.
Elevation 300–2500 m. (1000–8200 ft.) 0–3500 m. (0–11500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[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 greenei occurs on ophiolites, most frequently on soil derived from serpentinite and similarly altered ultramafic rock. Within its range, only C. rattanii occurs on these substrates; C. latifolia, C. parviflora, and C. wrightii are not on highly mafic soil.

The dark, nearly uniformly purple corollas of Collinsia greenei are distinctive, and the crescent-shaped flap of tissue on the adaxial lobes is unique. Other taxa have folds that bulge outward but are neither doubly crested nor crescent-shaped.

(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. 67. FNA vol. 17, p. 66.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Collinsia Plantaginaceae > Collinsia
Sibling taxa
C. antonina, C. bartsiifolia, C. callosa, C. childii, C. concolor, C. corymbosa, C. grandiflora, 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 A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 75. (1874) Lindley: Bot. Reg. 13: plate 1082. (1827)
Web links