Collinsia sparsiflora var. collina

Hillside collinsia

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Hillside collinsia is a California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges, central Sierra Nevada, Great Valley, and northern Coast Ranges in disturbed grassy fields, roadbanks, open chaparral, and oak woodlands at elevations of 100 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces delicate flowers with pale lavender to white corollas 5 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in open sunny areas. Its leaves are arranged oppositely, becoming smaller and more sparse toward the top of the plant. The small flowers have a hidden pouch tucked beneath the calyx, giving the plant a subtle and intricate appearance.

Habitat: Disturbed grassy fields, roadbanks, open chaparral, open oak and dry mixed woodland

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: 100-1200 m

Bioregions: s NCoRO, s NCoRI, CaRF, SNF, c SNH, GV, n CW.

California counties: Tulare, Lake, Monterey, Butte, Fresno, Placer, Marin, Contra Costa, Calaveras, El Dorado, Tuolumne, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Sacramento, Kern, Santa Clara, Napa, San Benito, Mariposa, Nevada, Amador, Stanislaus, Tehama, Merced, Glenn, Colusa, Solano, Madera, Sutter, Sonoma, San Joaquin, Yolo, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Shasta, Yuba, Mendocino, Trinity, Santa Barbara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.