[Blue-eyed Marys: The Genus Collinsia in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary

Collinsia grandiflora

Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora

Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

Large-flowered blue-eyed Mary blooming with midget phlox (Microsteris gracilis) in summit meadows at Monte Cristo, Monte Cristo Natural Area Preserve......June 21, 2022.
Characteristics:

Large-flowered blue-eyed Mary is a pretty annual wildflower. Its habit is to sprawl across the ground, although it may occur as an erect plant to 30 cm in height too. Several pairs of spatulate leaves may be found at the base. These may be toothed. The stem leaves tend to be longer and thinner, with the lower ones being toothed. All leaves are opposite.

The flowers are in rough whorls from the upper leaf axils. Individual flowers have a calyx from 5 to 8 mm in length, and a corolla of 9 to 17 mm in length. The tube of the corolla is abruptly bent near the base at a right angle to the calyx. A small spur occurs at the back side of this bend, just in front of the uppermost calyx teeth. Flowers are two-lipped, with the lower lobes being blue and the upper ones being white.

Habitat:

Collinsia grandiflora is found in moist, open slopes qand flats which dry during the summer. It is found from the lowland valleys to moderate elevations, usually west of the Cascade Mts, except in the Columbia River Gorge where it may be found as far east as Hood River, Oregon.

Range:

Collinsia grandiflora is found west of the Cascade Mts, except as mentioned above in the Columbia River Gorge. it ranges from southern British Columbia south to California.

Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

Large-flowered blue-eyed Mary blooming at a bald atop the Camp Creek Cliffs, Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, Gifford Pinchot National Forest...........June 29, 2013.

Close-up sideview of a flower of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

The photo above shows a close-up side view of the flower of large-flowered blue-eyed mary as seen at Memaloose in the Columbia River Gorge.......April 17, 2007.

Upper stem leaves of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

The photo above shows the upper stem leaves of large-flowered blue-eyed mary prior to the plant beginning to bloom. Notice the long, thin leaves with occasional minute teeth along the margin.

Inflorescence of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Inflorescence of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

These photos show the inflorescence of large-flowered blue-eyed mary. Photographed at Memaloose in the Columbia River Gorge........April 14, 2007.

Close-up sideview of the corolla and calyx of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Close-up frontal view of the corolla lobes of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

Additional close-up photos of the masses of large-flowered blue-eyed Mary to be seen blooming along the Dog Mountain Trail in the central Columbia River Gorge......May 4, 2011.

Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora) - Close-up of a flower of Blue-lips Blue-eyed Mary, Giant Blue-eyed Mary, Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora (Synonym: Collinsia parviflora var. grandiflora)

Large-flowered blue-eyed Mary blooming at left along the Eagle Creek Trail, Columbia River Gorge......April 11, 2013. The photo at right shows a close-up frontal view of the flower of large-flowered blue-eyed mary as seen at Memaloose in the Columbia River Gorge........April 14, 2007.
Paul Slichter