[The Genus Phacelia East of the Cascade Mts.]
Bicolored Phacelia, Sand Phacelia, Two-colored Phacelia

Phacelia bicolor var. leibergii

Synonym: Phacelia leibergii

Sand Phacelia, Two-color Phacelia: Phacelia bicolor var. leibergii (Synonym: Phacelia leibergii)

The photos above and at right show varied-leaf phacelia as seen at Fort Rock State Park, Fort Rock, OR late June, 1995. Notice the gland-tipped hairs which shine within the inflorescence.
Sand Phacelia, Two-color Phacelia: Phacelia bicolor var. leibergii (Synonym: Phacelia leibergii)Characteristics:

Bicolored phacelia is an annual with branched stems from 5-20 cm high. The herbage consists of many short spreading hairs with glands at their tips. The leaves are pinnatifid with narrow mid-leaf and many narrow toothed or cleft segments. The leaves are 2-10 cm long and 0.5-3 cm wide.

The inflorescences are few-flowered, compact, with bell-shaped flowers with narrow tube and flared petals. The corolla is 6.5-12 mm long with yellow tube and lavender or light blue lobes, the flower measuring about 5-10 mm wide.

Bicolored phacelia is similar to Phacelia glandulifera but has larger flowers.

Habitat:

Bicolored phacelia may be found on dry, open, sandy plains among sagebrush.

Range:

Bicolored phacelia may be found from central Oregon (Deschutes, Crook,, Lake and northern Malheur Counties) south along the east base of the Sierra Nevada to southern California and western Nevada.

Paul Slichter