Phacelia keckii
Santiago peak phacelia, Santiago Peak Phacelia
(c) 2010 Genevieve K. Walden, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3
Phacelia keckii (Santiago peak phacelia) is a native California annual in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by distinctive striped yellow and purple flowers.
Santiago peak phacelia is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in the Santa Ana Mountains in open chaparral at elevations of 500 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces lavender to purple flowers with yellow corolla tubes and delicate purple lobes in narrowly funnel-shaped blossoms 9 to 14 millimeters long. Growing with ascending to erect stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, it has a delicate branching habit with short, glandular hairs. Its leaves are widely elliptic to ovate, 10 to 75 millimeters long, with toothed or slightly lobed edges that contribute to its distinctive aromatic character. The fruit is a small, short-hairy structure 3 to 5 millimeters long containing 8 to 10 pitted seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; distinctive striped yellow and purple flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open chaparral
Elevation: 500-1600 m
Bloom period
Phacelia keckii blooms May-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Nemophila: Phacelia has flowers in coiled scorpion-tail clusters; Nemophila has solitary showy flowers at leaf axils.; vs Eucrypta: Phacelia is typically non-sticky with seeds that fall out cleanly; Eucrypta feels very sticky and retains 1-2 seeds in fruit.; vs Pholistoma: Phacelia has coiled flower clusters; Pholistoma has flowers scattered along stems with backward-pointing stem bristles.; vs Echium: Phacelia has coiled clusters of small flowers; Echium has large showy blue-purple flowers in tall spike-like clusters.; vs Gilia: Phacelia has coiled flower clusters and bristly foliage; Gilia has flowers in round heads or loose clusters with smoother foliage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phacelia keckii native to California?
Yes. Phacelia keckii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia keckii bloom?
Phacelia keckii blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Phacelia keckii belong to?
Phacelia keckii is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
Is Phacelia keckii rare or endangered?
Phacelia keckii carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, state rank S1.
What habitat does Phacelia keckii grow in?
Phacelia keckii grows in Open chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.