[The Genus Nemophila in the Columbia
River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Little-foot Nemophila, Meadow Baby-blue-eyes, Meadow Nemophila, Spreading Nemophila
Nemophila pedunculata
Synonym: Viticella pedunculata
Close-up of the flower and lobed leaf of meadow nemophila as seen on moist grassy slopes in the Labyrinth, mid-Columbia River Gorge...............April 15, 2010.
Characteristics:
Meadow nemophila is a small, easy to miss wildflower
with prostrate or procumbent stems up to 30 cm long. The stems are simple or
branched, usually mostly hairless. The leaves are opposite with with short hairs
lining the the margins of the winged petioles. The blades are deeply pinnatifid
and range from 6-25 mm long and 5-17 mm wide. Their are 2-3 pairs of rounded
lateral lobes.
The calyx lobes are 1.5-4 mm long. The flowers
are bell-shaped and 2-6 mm wide. The petals are pale lavender, or white marked
with lavender.
Habitat:
Meadow nemophila may be found in moist, open places,
including meadows and bottom lands.
Range:
Meadow nemophila may be found from southern Vancouver
Island south through western Washington and throughout Oregon and California
to parts of Baja California, and east to southern Idaho and Nevada.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between
the elevations of 100'-2200' from near Bingen, WA east to near Horsethief Lake
State Park.
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Additional views of meadow nemophila as seen on moist grassy slopes in the Labyrinth, mid-Columbia River Gorge...............April 15, 2010.
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Close-ups of the calyx and developing fruit plus a stem leaf of meadow nemophila as seen in upper Swale Canyon, Klickitat Canyon...............May 8, 2010. Note the long auricles (projections which are reflexed backwards between the calyx lobes) which are at least one-half the length of the calyx lobes. Note also the slender lobes on the leaf.
Meadow nemophila blooming in vernally moist wetlands at the Four Sisters (Columbia Land Trust) near The Dalles, Oregon........March 28, 2013.
Paul Slichter