Phacelia hastata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Phacelia hastata |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phacelia
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| Species: |
hastata
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| Synonyms | |
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Phacelia alpina |
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Phacelia hastata is a cool flowering plant that belongs to the borage family, called Boraginaceae. People often call it silverleaf scorpionweed, silverleaf phacelia, or white-leaf phacelia. This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, all the way south to California in the United States, and even east to Nebraska. It lives in many different places, like scrublands, woodlands, and forests. It can even grow high up in the mountains, sometimes at an elevation of 13,000 feet!
What Does Phacelia hastata Look Like?
Phacelia hastata is a type of plant that lives for more than two years. We call it a perennial herb. Its stem can be anywhere from 5 to 50 centimeters long. The whole plant is covered in a soft, silvery fuzz, which makes it look a bit shiny.
The leaves are usually gray-green and have deep veins. They can be shaped like a spear or an oval. Their edges might be smooth, or they might have small lobes or even be divided into smaller leaflets. Most of the leaves grow in a bunch around the bottom of the plant.
The flowers have a white or light purple, bell-shaped part called a corolla. This part is about 4 to 7 millimeters long. Inside the flower, the stamens (which hold the pollen) stick out. After the flower blooms, it forms a small, hairy fruit that is only a few millimeters long.
Different Kinds of Phacelia hastata
There are a few different types, or varieties, of Phacelia hastata. These varieties are slightly different from each other:
- P. hastata var. charlestonensis: This one is called Charleston phacelia. It only grows in Nevada.
- P. hastata var. compacta: This variety is known as compact phacelia. It grows in a low, mat-like shape and is often found high up in the mountains.
- P. hastata var. dasyphylla: This is the spearshaped phacelia. You can only find it in California and Oregon.
- P. hastata var. hastata: This is the most common type, called silverleaf phacelia. It grows across the entire range where the plant is found.
Gallery
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A close-up of the flower
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The unique curled flowerheads
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Phacelia hastata var. charlestonensis
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Phacelia hastata var. compacta
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A large plant of Phacelia hastata var. compacta
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