Collinsia heterophylla
Collinsia childii
Chinese houses, innocence, purple Chinese-houses
child's blue-eyed Mary, child's collinsia
erect to ascending.
erect to ascending.
blades lanceolate-deltate, margins serrate.
blades oblong to lanceolate or oblanceolate, length usually less than 6 times width, base of distals tapered, margins entire or serrulate.
glabrous or hairy, ± glandular;
whorls 2–7 on main axis;
nodes 2–7-flowered;
flowers crowded;
distalmost bracts linear to lanceolate, 5–6 mm.
densely glandular;
nodes 2–5-flowered;
flowers not crowded;
distalmost bracts linear, 2–3(+) mm.
ascending to spreading, shorter than calyx, not or scarcely visible.
spreading to ascending, longer than calyx, visible.
calyx lobes linear to ovate, equal to capsule, apex subacute to acute;
corolla red-purple, rarely white, banner white to lavender or tipped dark violet, maroon spots near center and forming horizontal lines near base, wings whitish to rose purple, keel usually with darker red tip, 10–20 mm, usually glabrous;
tube hairy inside, as wide as long, saccate basally, adaxial pouch prominent and ± square;
banner length 0.6–0.9 times wings, lobe base without folds;
stamens: abaxial filaments glabrous, adaxials hairy, basal spur 1.
calyx campanulate, lobes lanceolate, surpassing capsule, apex subacute to rounded;
corolla whitish or pale lavender, banner base with central field of purple spots, 6–9(–11) mm, glabrate;
banner length 0.9–1 times wings, lobe base without folds;
stamens: filaments glabrous, basal spur 0.
6–12, ovate, 1.5–2 mm, margins slightly thickened, inrolled.
2, ovate to oval, 2–3 mm, margins thickened, inrolled.
= 14.
Collinsia heterophylla
Collinsia childii
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Collinsia heterophylla is the most widespread and frequently encountered species in California. There is structure in phylogenetic analysis of northern and southern populations (that is, paraphyly of southern populations) suggesting northward expansion and evidence for introgression with C. tinctoria (B. G. Baldwin et al. 2011) in the southern Sierra Nevada (Kern County and possibly Fresno County). This species is often confused with other collinsias that have tiered whorls of flowers, most frequently with C. bartsiifolia and C. concolor, which both lack the bold horizontal line present at the base of the adaxial corolla lip of C. heterophylla. Plants with reduced corolla pigmentation, nearly white, are uncommon outside of the South Coast Ranges and are often misidentified as C. bartsiifolia.
Collinsia bicolor Bentham, which pertains here, is a later homonym of C. bicolor Rafinesque, a synonym of 1. C. verna.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Collinsia childii occurs principally on shaded, rocky soil. It is most common in the Sierra Nevada and Transverse ranges in the interior of southern California. There are also isolated populations in the South Coast Ranges.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corollas (13–)15–20 mm; leaf blade abaxial surfaces glabrous, midveins rarely hairy; banner lengths 0.8–0.9 times wings, reflexed portions 4+ times basal portions. | var. heterophylla |
1. Corollas 10–15(–18) mm; leaf blade abaxial surfaces sparsely hairy; banner lengths 0.6–0.8 times wings, reflexed portions 2–3 times basal portions. | var. austromontana |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
