Collinsia sparsiflora
Few flowered collinsia
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Collinsia sparsiflora (Few flowered collinsia) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by 32 congeners; open sparse infl. with pedicels far longer than calyx, narrow entire leaves.
Few flowered collinsia is a California native annual found in coastal and central California mountain regions in open woodland and grassland habitats at lower elevations. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces delicate lavender to purple flowers with white undertones, each blossom featuring a distinctive lowest petal with sparse long hairs near its tip. Growing with slender stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it develops an open, loosely branched structure with thin, elongated stems. Its leaves are generally linear to oblong, arranged in a simple entire configuration that provides a delicate backdrop to the flower clusters. The fruits are spherical with intriguing red-blotched tops, revealing themselves as the calyx lobes spread widely.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 congeners; open sparse infl. with pedicels far longer than calyx, narrow entire leaves
Habitat and range
California counties: Contra Costa, El Dorado, Stanislaus, Lake, Amador, Santa Clara, Colusa, Sonoma, Yolo, Napa, Solano, Butte, Mendocino, Humboldt, Placer, San Joaquin, Glenn, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Sutter, Shasta, Tehama, San Mateo, Trinity, Fresno, Tulare, Lassen, Calaveras, San Francisco, Merced, Nevada, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Mono, Marin, Yuba
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 sparsiflora native to California?
Yes. Collinsia sparsiflora is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Collinsia sparsiflora grow?
Collinsia sparsiflora occurs in Contra Costa, El Dorado, Stanislaus, Lake, Amador, Santa Clara, Colusa, Sonoma and other counties.
What plant family does Collinsia sparsiflora belong to?
Collinsia sparsiflora is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Collinsia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Collinsia torreyi var. torreyi — Torrey's blue eyed mary
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.