Collinsia sparsiflora Fisch. & C.A.Mey.

Scientific Classification and Growth Form

This plant, scientifically named Collinsia sparsiflora Fisch. & C.A.Mey., is an annual herb.

Stem and Inflorescence

It produces a slender, reddish stem that reaches up to 30 centimeters in height, topped with an inflorescence made of widely spaced nodes; each node holds between one and three flowers.

Flower Characteristics

The flowers have very long, pointed sepals, and petals that are purple, lavender, or occasionally white.

Fruit Characteristics

Its fruit is a spherical, red-spotted capsule that develops deep inside the long sepals.

Habitat Types

It grows in several habitat types, including disturbed and cultivated areas.

Soil and Elevation Range

It has a weak affinity for serpentine soils, and can be found growing from sea level up to 5000 feet in elevation.

Associated Mycorrhizal Fungi

Ecologically, Collinsia sparsiflora hosts distinct populations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Acaulospora AM fungi when it grows on serpentine soil, and Glomus when it grows on non-serpentine soil types.