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

broad-leafed collinsia, Torrey's collinsia

Wright's blue-eyed Mary

Habit Annuals 5–25 cm. Annuals 5–25 cm.
Stems

erect to ascending.

erect.

Leaf

blades elliptic to ovate, length usually 2–5 times width, margins entire or serrate.

blades linear to elliptic, margins entire or serrate.

Inflorescences

densely glandular;

nodes (1–)3–6-flowered;

flowers not crowded;

distalmost bracts linear, 0–2 mm.

densely glandular;

nodes (1–)3–6-flowered;

flowers not crowded;

distalmost bracts linear, 0–2 mm.

Pedicels

ascending to spreading, sometimes reflexed, pendent and/or sigmoid in fruit, usually longer than calyx, visible.

ascending to spreading, sometimes reflexed, pendent and/or sigmoid in fruit, usually longer than calyx, visible.

Flowers

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

corolla blue-violet to purple, banner white, cream, or pale lilac, 6–9 mm, sparsely glandular;

banner length 0.7–0.8(–0.9) times wings, lobe base with folds bulging 0.5 mm away from throat opening at base of each lobe, wings equal to keel;

stamens: abaxial filaments glabrous, adaxials glabrous or hairy at base, basal spur 0.

calyx lobes narrowly deltate to lanceolate, equal to capsule, apex subacute to rounded;

corolla blue-violet to purple, banner white, cream, or pale lilac, 4–6(–9) mm, sparsely glandular;

banner length 0.7–0.8 times wings, lobe base without folds, wings surpassing keel by 1–2 mm;

stamens: abaxial filaments glabrous, adaxials glabrous or hairy at base, basal spur 0.

Seeds

2, ovate to oblong, often curled toward attachment side, 2–2.5 mm, margins thickened, inrolled.

2, ovate to oblong, sometimes compressed, 2–2.5 mm, margins thickened, inrolled.

Collinsia latifolia

Collinsia wrightii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Mixed oak-conifer forests, openings near montane chaparral. Coniferous forests, usually in sandy, granitic soils.
Elevation 1000–2500 m. (3300–8200 ft.) 800–4000 m. (2600–13100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
from FNA
CA
Discussion

Collinsia latifolia occurs on volcanic and metamorphic substrates in northern California and southern Oregon in the Klamath and Cascade ranges, and in the North Coast Ranges of California. Its flowers are nearly identical to those of C. torreyi, which differs in leaf shape: linear in C. torreyi and elliptic to ovate in C. latifolia.

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

A report of Collinsia wrightii (as C. torreyi var. wrightii) from western Nevada (J. T. Kartesz 1987) has not been verified by the author.

Collinsia wrightii is often confused with C. parviflora and less frequently with C. torreyi. The corolla of C. wrightii is purplish as in C. torreyi and not the bright blue of C. parviflora. Collinsia wrightii and C. parviflora differ most evidently in plant stature and corolla size; C. wrightii is generally more diminutive.

The large-flowered form of Collinsia wrightii, corolla (6–)8–9 mm, has been treated as C. torreyi var. brevicarinata and occurs only near Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks. The flowers are similar in size to those of C. torreyi as treated here but differ in corolla shape (wings surpassing tip of keel by 1.5–2 mm) and leaf shape and length. The seeds of the large-flowered form are compressed; those of the small-flowered form are not.

A phylogenetic study (B. G. Baldwin et al. 2011) showed that Collinsia wrightii and C. torreyi belong to divergent lineages and supports the recognition of these taxa as distinct species based on differences in the lengths of the wings relative to the tips of the keels.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 71. FNA vol. 17, p. 70.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Collinsia Plantaginaceae > Collinsia
Sibling taxa
C. antonina, C. bartsiifolia, C. callosa, C. childii, C. concolor, C. corymbosa, C. grandiflora, C. greenei, C. heterophylla, 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. parviflora, C. rattanii, C. sparsiflora, C. tinctoria, C. torreyi, C. verna, C. violacea
Synonyms C. torreyi var. latifolia C. brachysiphon, C. monticola, C. torreyi var. brachysiphon, C. torreyi var. brevicarinata, C. torreyi var. wrightii
Name authority (Newsom) B. G. Baldwin: Kalisz & Armbruster, Amer. J. Bot. 98: 747. (2011) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 24: 84. (1889)
Web links