About Phacelia hastata Douglas ex Lehm.
Phacelia hastata Douglas ex Lehm. is a variable perennial herb, with stems ranging from 5 to 92 centimeters (2 to 36 inches) in length. The entire plant is covered in a fine, silvery hairy covering called pubescence. Its gray-green leaves have deep veins; they can be lance-shaped to oval, with smooth edges, lobed edges, or divided into separate leaflets. Most leaves grow in a tuft at the base of the plant. Its flowers are arranged in cymes, and bloom in early summer. The flowers have a fused, urn- or bell-shaped corolla that is white or lavender in color, measuring around 4 to 7 millimeters long. The stamens extend out past the corolla. The fruit is a hairy capsule only a few millimeters in length. Up to four varieties of this species are currently accepted: P. hastata var. charlestonensis, called Charleston phacelia or Spring Mountains phacelia, which is endemic to Nevada; P. hastata var. compacta, called compact phacelia or timberline phacelia, which is a mat-forming growth form that occurs at high elevation; P. hastata var. dasyphylla, called spearshaped phacelia, which is limited to California and Oregon; and P. hastata var. dasyphylla, called silverleaf phacelia, which occurs across the entire species' range.
