Another member of the Boraginaceae, this spiny but beautiful Phacelia packs multiple tightly curled scorpioid inflorescences into a semi-globular head. Last weekend at the Carrizo Plain, this species was less frequent than the Lacy Phacelia (a darker purple congener), instead appearing in dense, contiguous, rather local colonies at the Carrizo Plain.
Like many Phacelia, the spines can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. I didn't have any problems touching it. Does anyone know if spines in the Boraginaceae are purely mechanical irritants, or if they are filled with serotonin and histamines like in some Urticaceae (nettles)?
There is some interest in using this species as a companion species for tomatoes, because it attracts lots of pollinators, primarily bumble- and honey- bees, as well as syrphid flies.
Here's a great shot of the seeds, from Steve Hurst at the USDA PLANTS database:
Happy Easter!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment