Collinsia heterophylla
Collinsia linearis
Chinese houses, innocence, purple Chinese-houses
narrow-leaf blue eyed Mary, narrow-leaf collinsia
erect to ascending.
erect to ascending.
blades lanceolate-deltate, margins serrate.
blades linear to narrowly oblanceolate, length usually 6+ times width, margins entire, subentire, or ± dentate.
glabrous or hairy, ± glandular;
whorls 2–7 on main axis;
nodes 2–7-flowered;
flowers crowded;
distalmost bracts linear to lanceolate, 5–6 mm.
finely scaly and spreading-glandular;
nodes 1–3(–5)-flowered;
flowers not crowded;
distalmost bracts linear, 2–5 mm.
ascending to spreading, shorter than calyx, not or scarcely visible.
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 lobes lanceolate to ovate, equal to capsule, apex subacute to slightly rounded;
corolla white to blue-purple, 8–12(–15) mm, length 2+ times calyx, glandular;
banner length 0.8–1 times wings, base with folds bulging 0.5 mm away from throat opening, reflexed portion length 1.5–2 times throat;
throat strongly angled to tube, as wide as long, pouch ± square, prominent;
stamens: abaxial filaments glabrous, adaxials hairy at base, basal spur 0(or 1).
6–12, ovate, 1.5–2 mm, margins slightly thickened, inrolled.
2–4(–6), round to oblong, 1.5–2.2 mm, margins thin, scarcely inrolled.
= 14.
= 14.
Collinsia heterophylla
Collinsia linearis
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 linearis and C. rattanii occupy similar habitats, often growing in rocky soil derived from mafic, volcanic rock. They form a lineage but may not be reciprocally monophyletic (B. G. Baldwin et al. 2011). Other than differences in corolla size and shape, and, possibly, seed morphology, they are extremely similar. Corolla shape (floor of throat angled 45° to 60° from abaxial side of calyx and reflexed portion of adaxial lip length 1.5 to 2 times throat) and smaller corolla size are characteristic of C. linearis. Some plants from this lineage, mostly from Oregon, are difficult to assign to either C. linearis or C. rattanii.
Specimens annotated as Collinsia linearis from British Columbia have not been verified.
(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
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
