''Collinsia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 20 species of

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s, consisting of the blue eyed Marys and the Chinese houses. It was traditionally placed in the snapdragon

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...

, but following recent research in

molecular genetics Molecular genetics is a sub-field of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms. Molecular genetics often applies an "investigative approach" to determine the ...

, it has now been placed in a much enlarged family

Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older cl ...

. The genus is endemic to North America, and is named in honor of Zacchaeus Collins, a

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

of the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century. Many of the 20

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

may be found in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Two species, ''

Collinsia parviflora ''Collinsia parviflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae (previously Scrophulariaceae) known by the common names maiden blue eyed Mary and small-flowered collinsia. This tiny wildflower is a common plant throughout ...

'' (smallflower blue eyed Mary) and ''

Collinsia violacea ''Collinsia'' is a genus of about 20 species of annual flowering plants, consisting of the blue eyed Marys and the Chinese houses. It was traditionally placed in the snapdragon family Scrophulariaceae, but following recent research in molecular ...

'' (violet blue eyed Mary), had medicinal uses among American Indian peoples. Species include: *''

Collinsia antonina ''Collinsia'' is a genus of about 20 species of annual plant, annual flowering plants, consisting of the blue eyed Marys and the Chinese houses. It was traditionally placed in the snapdragon family (biology), family Scrophulariaceae, but follow ...

'' *''

Collinsia bartsiifolia ''Collinsia bartsiifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name white blue-eyed Mary. It is endemic to California, where it is widespread in the mountain ranges and deserts and found in several habitat ...

'' *'' Collinsia callosa'' *'' Collinsia childii'' *''

Collinsia concolor ''Collinsia concolor'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Chinese houses. It is native to Southern California and Baja California. It grows in the woodlands and chaparral of the coastal mountain rang ...

'' *''

Collinsia corymbosa ''Collinsia corymbosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name round-headed Chinese houses. It is endemic to the coastline of California north of the San Francisco Bay Area, where it is uncommon and scatt ...

'' *''

Collinsia grandiflora ''Collinsia grandiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names giant blue eyed Mary and large-flowered collinsia. This wildflower is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern Ca ...

'' *''

Collinsia greenei ''Collinsia greenei'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Greene's blue-eyed Mary. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in the coastal and inland mountains, including the North Coast ...

'' *''

Collinsia heterophylla ''Collinsia heterophylla'', known as purple Chinese houses or innocence, is a flowering plant native to California and the Peninsular Ranges in northern Baja California. Description ''Collinsia heterophylla'' is an annual plant growing in shady ...

'' *''

Collinsia linearis ''Collinsia linearis'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name narrowleaf blue-eyed Mary. It is native to the coniferous forests of the Klamath Mountains in northern California and southern Oregon sometim ...

'' *''

Collinsia multicolor ''Collinsia multicolor'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family, known by the common names San Francisco blue eyed Mary and San Francisco collinsia. It is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area, where it is known from San Francisc ...

'' *''

Collinsia parryi ''Collinsia parryi'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Parry's blue eyed Mary. It is endemic to central and southern California, where it is found in the southern Coast Ranges and in the Transverse R ...

'' *''

Collinsia parvula ''Collinsia'' is a genus of about 20 species of annual flowering plants, consisting of the blue eyed Marys and the Chinese houses. It was traditionally placed in the snapdragon family Scrophulariaceae, but following recent research in molecular ...

'' *''

Collinsia rattanii ''Collinsia rattanii'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name sticky blue-eyed Mary. It is native to the coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest of the United States from Washington to northern Califo ...

'' *''

Collinsia sparsiflora ''Collinsia sparsiflora'' is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae known by the common names spinster's blue-eyed Mary and few-flowered collinsia. One variety of the species is native to the West Coast of the United States as far north ...

'' *''

Collinsia tinctoria ''Collinsia tinctoria'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae known by the common names sticky Chinese houses and tincture plant. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the woodlands and forests of the mountain ra ...

'' *'' Collinsia torreyi'' *'' Collinsia verna'' *''

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Collinsia'' speciesJepson Manual Treatment of ''Collinsia''
Annual plants Plantaginaceae genera Taxa named by Thomas Nuttall {{Plantaginaceae-stub