Polemoniaceae
Collomia tinctoria

Yellow-Staining Collomia

Upright, branches widely spreading. Leaves lance-shaped, entire, coated with glands. Flowers 2–3 at leaf axil. Flower tube slender, maroon to violet; lobes pink to white, tapered to a bristly point; stigma and anthers with blue pollen extend outward from tube. Grows in gravelly or rocky soils in open places at low to high elevations, including Steens Mountain. Similar C. tracyi grows in northern California, with stigma not extended beyond tube throat. (Note: Whitish powder on leaves pictured is powdery mildew.)

  • Rarity: Locally Common
  • Flowering Time: Mid Summer
  • Life Cycle: Annual
  • Height: 1--3 inches
  • Habitat: Rocky Soils, East-Side Forest, Shrub-Steppe
  • Found In: Steens
  • Native: Yes