Collinsia sp.
Chinese-houses, Chinese-Houses
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Annual · Variable; species dependent
Collinsia sp. (Chinese-houses) is a non-native California annual in the Plantaginaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Penstemon: Collinsia has stamens hidden in keeled lower lip; Penstemon has stamens visible with one sterile 'beard.'; vs Stachys: Collinsia has a keeled lower petal hiding stamens; Stachys has square stems and flowers in tight whorls.; vs Lupinus: Collinsia has snapdragon-like flowers; Lupinus has pea-family flowers with banner, wings, and keel.; vs Linaria: Collinsia has keeled lower lip hiding stamens; Linaria has spurred flowers with protruding stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Collinsia sp. native to California?
No. Collinsia sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Collinsia sp. belong to?
Collinsia sp. is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Collinsia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Collinsia sparsiflora — Few flowered collinsia
- Collinsia sparsiflora var. collina — Hillside collinsia
- Collinsia sparsiflora var. sparsiflora — Few flowered collinsia
- Collinsia tinctoria — Sticky chinese houses
- Collinsia torreyi — Torrey's blue eyed mary
- Collinsia torreyi var. latifolia — Broad leafed collinsia
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.