''Collomia grandiflora'' is a western North American
annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...
in the phlox family (
Polemoniaceae
The Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 25 genera with 270–400 species of annuals and perennials native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity ...
), known by the common names grand collomia,
large-flowered mountain trumpet, and large-flowered collomia.
[Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2nd Ed., 2013, p. 106] It usually appears in sandy habitats
and is cultivated as an
ornamental Ornamental may refer to:
*Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration
*Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work
*Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...
.
Description
The plant grows to about
and produces an erect, hairy or fuzzy stem which may be red to green in color. Arranged at wide intervals along the stem are long, lance-shaped leaves growing to about ,
the lowermost sometimes toothed along the edges. Atop the stem is an
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
of several flowers in white to yellow or orange. Lower flowerheads may branch from the axils of the alternate leaves. Each tubular, flat-faced flower is 2 or 3 cm wide with five fused and curving light-colored petals and five
stamen
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s
tipped with anthers which bear blue pollen. The fruit is a capsule containing sticky seeds.
Uses
Some Native Americans used the roots and leaves for medicinal purposes.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
grandiflora
{{Polemoniaceae-stub