[The Genus Collomia East of the Cascade Mts.]
Large-flowered Collomia

Collomia grandiflora

The photo above shows a close-up of the salmon-colored flower of large flowered collomia as seen at about 4100' at a DNR rock quarry atop the ridge dividing the Cougar and Dairy Creek drainages at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams.................July 10, 2005. Note the bluish anthers and the stigma which is divided into 4 spreading lobes.
The photo at right shows large-flowered collomia from the Road to Blue Sky, Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge...........6/29/97.
Characteristics:

Large-flowered collomia is a tall, slender annual which arises from 6 to 22 inches high. Most of these wildflowers are single stemmed, but occasionally one with several stems may occur. It has a dense terminal cluster of trumpet-like flowers.

The leaves are narrow, linear, and may be as long as 2 inches long. The leaves are all found on the stems.The flowers are salmon- or orange-colored, and these frequently fade to white. The tubes are 1/2 to 3/4 inches long, and tiny blue steamens may be evident. The sepals are commonly sticky.

This is an pretty annual wildflower for the dry wild garden. It self seeds readily and may spread to overrun moister gardens.

Habitat:

Large-flowered collomia is found in dry open or lightly wooded places, from low to moderate elevations.

Range:

Large-flowered collomia is found from southern British Columbia south on both sides of the Cascade Mts to California, and hence eastward as far as western Montana, Wyoming and south to Arizona.

 

The photo above shows a flower head of large-flowered collomia as seen from slopes above Oregon Highway 216 a mile east of the Deschutes River in central Oregon.................April 19, 2007.
Paul Slichter