[The Genus Phacelia East of the
Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]
Carson's Phacelia, Threadleaf Phacelia, Thread-leaf Scorpion-weed, Thread-leaf Phacelia
Phacelia linearis
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The photo at left shows threadleaf phacelia as seen along the old Vantage Highway on the east bank of the Columbia River north of Vantage, WA........April 30, 2007. The photo at right shows threadleaf phacelia in bloom along the Hardstone Trail, Cottonwood Canyon State Park and adjacent BLM lands......March 26, 2021.
The photo
at right shows a close-up of the stamens of threadleaf phacelia as seen along the old Vantage Highway on the east bank of the Columbia River north of Vantage, WA........April 30, 2007. Note the long, spreading hairs on the filaments.
Characteristics:
Also known as narrow-leaved phacelia, threadleaf phacelia is
an attractive annual with either a simple, unbranched stem, or more often, an
erect, many-branched stem from 12.5-50 cm high. The herbage consists of minute,
fine, short hairs and additional bristles over much of the plant. The leaves
are all found on the stems. They are narrow or linear in shape, either sessile
or with short petioles, and from 1.5-11 cm long and 1.5-12 mm wide. Some of
the leaves bear 1-4 narrow, diverging segments or lobes from below mid-leaf.
The attractive flowers are clustered at the tops of the stems
or branches with blue-lavender corollas which are broadly campanulate (like
flared bells), the openings 8-18 mm wide The sepals are narrow or linear, with
bristly margins, and the stamens are about equal in length to the corolla lobes,
but extend beyond the mouth of the flower as the corolla lobes flare outwards.
The style is cleft less than a third of its length.
Plants are occasionally available from nurseries and make interesting additions
for dry, sunny sections at the front of the garden.
Habitat:
Threadleaf phacelia is usually found in dry open places or dry
open woods at low to middle elevations.
Range:
Threadleaf phacelia may be found from southern British Columbia
south along the eastern edge of the Cascades to northern California, and east
to Alberta, Utah, and Wyoming.
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The photo at left shows a more branched specimen of threadleaf phacelia as seen along the old Vantage Highway on the east bank of the Columbia River north of Vantage, WA........April 30, 200.7. The photo at right shows a close-up of the inflorescence of threadleaf phacelia as seen along the Hard Stone Trail, western bank of the John Day River, Cottonwood Canyon State Park.......May 3, 2017.
Close-up of a flower of threadleaf phacelia as seen at a small borrow pit along Road 35 about one-half mile uphill from the southern forest boundary on Table Mountain, Wenatchee National Forest..........June 4, 2013.
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The photos above show a close-up of the flower
and leaf of threadleaf phacelia as seen along the old Vantage Highway along the
eastern bank of the Columbia River in central Washington........April 17,
2002. Note the numerous long, white hairs on the filaments of the flower
and the narrow leaf with 2 narrow lobes at its base.
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The photo at left shows a whitish-flowered threadleaf phacelia as seen high above the lower Imnaha River along the Buckhorn Lookout to Eureka Bar trail in the Wallowa-Whitman N.F........June 27, 2008. The photo at right shows threadleaf phacelia as seen in the Bickleton Ridge Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area........June 17, 2017..
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Thread-leaf phacelia with darker flowers as observed on open, northwest-facing slopes along the Fremont National Recreation Trail on Hager Mountain, Fremont-Winema National Forest.......June 18, 2020.
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Threadleaf phacelia as seen (left) on sand dunes atop the White Bluffs (north), Hanford Reach National Monument..........April 26, 2014.
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Threadleaf phacelia in bloom along the Hardstone Trail, Cottonwood Canyon State Park and adjacent BLM lands......April 24, 2022.
Paul Slichter