[Phacelias and Scorpionweeds: The Genus Phacelia West of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Tall Phacelia, Tall Scorpionweed, Tall Scorpion-weed

Phacelia procera

Tall Phacelia, Tall Scorpionweed, Tall Scorpion-weed: Phacelia procera

Tall phacelia as seen high on east-facing slopes of Burch Mt., several miles to the north of Wenatchee, WA.........June 6, 2009.

Stem leaf of Tall Phacelia, Tall Scorpionweed, Tall Scorpion-weed: Phacelia proceraThe photo at right shows a stem leaf of tall phacelia as seen along Reecer Creek Road in the Wenatchee N.F.........June 22, 1997.
Characteristics:

Tall phacelia is a perennial wildflower with one to several erect, stout stems from 50-200 cm high. The herbage is generally green with straight, stiff hairs closely appressed to the stems and leaves. The stems below and within the inflorescence are conspicuously black-glandular. Basal leaves are lacking, but the numerous stem leaves are petiolate with blades up to 12 cm long and up to 7 cm wide. The blades are pinnately divided or few-lobed, the terminal segment the largest of the 3-7 segments. The lower stem leaves are reduced in size and may be lanceolate in shape with entire margins while the largest, lobed leaves are near mid-stem.

The inflorescence consists of several scorpioid cymes loosely to fairly tightly clustered into terminal, corymbiform clusters. The calyx lobes are oblong-lanceolate to linear in shape, about half as long as the corolla, and covered with glands. The bell-shaped corollas are pale greenish-white, averaging 5-7 mm long and 5-9 mm wide. The stamens are strongly exserted beyond the corolla. The style is 2-cleft about three-fourths of its length.


Habitat:

Tall phacelia is a plant commonly found in meadows an in open to lightly forested slopes at moderate elevations in the mountains.


Range:

Tall phacelia may be found from the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mts. and Wenatchee Mts. of Washington south to the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges of northern California and in the Blue Mts. or north-central Oregon and east into Idaho.


Close-up sideview of a flower of Tall Phacelia, Tall Scorpionweed, Tall Scorpion-weed: Phacelia procera

A close-up sideview of a flower of tall phacelia as seen high on east-facing slopes of Burch Mt., several miles to the north of Wenatchee, WA.........June 6, 2009.

Tall Phacelia, Tall Scorpionweed, Tall Scorpion-weed: Phacelia procera - Tall Phacelia, Tall Scorpionweed, Tall Scorpion-weed: Phacelia procera

These 2 photos show tall phacelia as seen along Reecer Creek Road in the Wenatchee N.F.........June 22, 1997.

Paul Slichter