Phacelia rattanii
Rattan's phacelia
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Hydrophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Phacelia rattanii (Rattan's phacelia) is a native California herb in the Hydrophyllaceae family, recognized by stiff bulb-based bristles and white pollen.
Rattan's phacelia is a California native annual herb found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, southern Cascade Range, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern Coast Ranges in shaded crevices and on steep slopes at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to blue flowers in small, narrowly bell-shaped corollas about 3 to 5 millimeters long. Growing 15 to 100 centimeters tall with generally erect stems that are simple to branched at the base and sparsely covered with white to clear stiff hairs. Its leaves are 10 to 75 millimeters long, typically ovate with irregular teeth or lobes, with leaf blades longer than their petioles. The fruit is a small, spherical structure 2 to 3 millimeters wide, typically containing two pitted seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 54 sympatric species; distinguished by stiff bulb-based bristles and white pollen
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shaded crevices, steep slopes
Elevation: < 1400 m
Outside California: Oregon, Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Phacelia rattanii blooms May-Jul.
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 rattanii native to California?
Yes. Phacelia rattanii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Phacelia rattanii bloom?
Phacelia rattanii blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Phacelia rattanii belong to?
Phacelia rattanii is in the Hydrophyllaceae family, genus Phacelia.
What habitat does Phacelia rattanii grow in?
Phacelia rattanii grows in Shaded crevices, steep slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.