''Nemophila heterophylla'' is a species of flowering plant in the

borage family Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the orde ...

known by the common name small baby blue eyes. It is native to

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

and

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

north of the

Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa ...

. It grows in many types of habitat, from valley chaparral to mountain talus.

Description

''Nemophila heterophylla'' is an annual herb with a fleshy but delicate and usually hairy stem. The lower leaves are oppositely arranged and divided into several wide lobes. Upper leaves are smaller, narrower, and alternately arranged. Flowers are solitary, each on a short

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

. The flower has a calyx of

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s each a few millimeters long, pointed, and covered with long hairs, and there are reflexed appendages between the sepals. The bowl-shaped flower corolla is white or blue and a few millimeters to over a centimeter wide. The fruit is a capsule which develops within the calyx of sepals and contains a few yellowish seeds.

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment of ''Nemophila heterophylla''''Nemophila heterophylla'' — UC Photo gallery
heterophylla Flora of California Flora of Oregon Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Klamath Mountains Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Central Valley (California) Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Asterid-stub