''Gilia tricolor'' (bird's-eyes, bird's-eye gilia, tricolor gilia) is an
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 (band), a ...
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the phlox family (
Polemoniaceae
The Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 27 genera with 270–400 species of annuals and perennials native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity ...
).
[Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2013, p. 49]
Range and habitat
It is native to the
Central Valley and foothills of the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
and
Coast Ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States; ; ) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Althoug ...
in California.
[ Its native habitats include open, grassy plains and slopes below . However, there has been some sighting reported on iNaturalist in Western Washington and Southern Western Canada.
]
Description
Growth pattern
Leaves and stems
Inflorescence and fruit
Flowers have 5 green sepals and 5 bell-shaped fused petals, which are blue-violet at the end, descending to purple spots over yellow throats, hence the three for "tri".[
]
Human uses
Seeds of this plant are sold online as a garden flower.
Subspecies
*''Gilia tricolor'' ssp.
In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...
''diffusa'' (Congd.) Mason & A. Grant
*''Gilia tricolor'' ssp. ''tricolor'' Benth.
Gallery
File:Gilia tricolor 058.jpg, Gilia Tricolor (human hand for scale)
File:Gilia tricolor 2015-07-28 5320.jpg, Group of Gilia Tricolor
File:Gilia tricolor.jpg, Gilia Tricolor
File:Birdseye Gilia (58032199).jpg, Gilia Tricolor
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Gilia tricolor''
tricolor
Endemic flora of California
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Garden plants of North America
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Polemoniaceae-stub