Collomia tracyi
Tracy's collomia
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Collomia tracyi (Tracy's collomia) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by C. tinctoria by larger white-lavender flowers and different reproductive part arrangement.
Tracy's collomia is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges and northern North Coast Ranges in rocky, gravelly, or sandy areas at elevations of 30 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from June to September, this delicate plant produces white to lavender flowers 12 to 22 millimeters long in small clusters of two to three blooms. Growing with slender erect stems 2 to 8 centimeters tall, the plant has multiple nearly equal branches spreading at gentle angles and stems covered in long translucent glandular hairs. Its lower stems bear narrow linear to lanceolate leaves that are entire and glandular, creating a delicate, sparse foliage structure. The plant produces distinctive blue pollen and forms seeds with one seed per chamber.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinguished from C. tinctoria by larger white-lavender flowers and different reproductive part arrangement
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky, gravelly, or sandy areas
Elevation: 30-2100 m
California counties: Trinity, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Plumas, Shasta, Mendocino, Tehama, Glenn, Del Norte, Lassen
Bloom period
Collomia tracyi blooms Jun-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Gilia: Collomia has entire lanceolate leaves and flowers in leafy-bracted terminal heads; Gilia has pinnately lobed or dissected basal leaves and more open inflorescences.; vs Navarretia: Collomia has soft, entire leaves and unarmed bracts; Navarretia (pincushion) has spine-tipped, often pinnately spiny bracts and prickly heads.; vs Allophyllum: Collomia leaves are entire and herbage is not skunky; Allophyllum has lobed to pinnatifid leaves and a skunk-like odor with glandular herbage.; vs Leptosiphon: Collomia has undivided lanceolate leaves; Leptosiphon and Linanthus have palmately dissected, needle-like, finger-whorled leaf lobes.; vs Microsteris: Collomia has funnel-shaped flowers in leafy terminal clusters; Microsteris is a tiny annual with small pink-and-yellow salverform flowers in the leaf axils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Collomia tracyi native to California?
Yes. Collomia tracyi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Collomia tracyi bloom?
Collomia tracyi blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Collomia tracyi grow?
Collomia tracyi occurs in Trinity, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Plumas, Shasta, Mendocino, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of 30-2100 m.
What plant family does Collomia tracyi belong to?
Collomia tracyi is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Collomia.
Is Collomia tracyi rare or endangered?
Collomia tracyi carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Collomia diversifolia — Serpentine collomia
- Collomia grandiflora — Large-flowered collomia
- Collomia heterophylla — Variable-leaf collomia
- Collomia larsenii — Talus collomia
- Collomia linearis — Narrow-leaf mountain trumpet
- Collomia rawsoniana — Rawson's flaming-trumpet
- Eriastrum abramsii — Abrams' woolly-star
- Eriastrum brandegeeae — Brandegee's eriastrum
- Eriastrum calocyanum — Pretty blue woolly-star
- Eriastrum densifolium — Perennial woolly-star
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.