Nemophila spatulata

Nemophila spatulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	(unplaced)
Family:	Boraginaceae
Subfamily:	Hydrophylloideae
Genus:	Nemophila
Species:	N. spatulata
Binomial name
Nemophila spatulata

Nemophila spatulata is a dicot in the family of Boraginaceae. It is an annual herb that grows in California and adjacent areas of western North America. The common name for N. spatulata is the "Sierra baby blue-eyes" or "Sierra Nemophila".

The flowers of N. spatulata are bowl-shaped, white or blue and generally veined and dotted. The lobes are sometimes purple-spotted. The corolla is 2–8 mm long and 2–10 mm wide. The leaves are opposite, 5–30 mm long, and the petiole is winged. The lower blades have 3–5 lobes, are shallow and generally entire. The upper blade lobes have 3–5 triangular teeth.

The seeds are brown and are smooth but shallowly pitted. The fruit produces between 5-7 seeds.

Habitat and Plant Communities

N. spatulata is found on slopes in elevations between 1,100 and 3,000 m. It grows in the following plant communities:

• Yellow pine forest
• Red fir forest
• Lodgepole forest

Bioregional Distribution

N. spatulata is distributed in meadows, road banks and woodlands. It is found in the following areas:

• High Cascade Range
• S. Sierra Nevada Foothills
• High Sierra Nevada
• Tehachapi Mountains Area
• Transverse Ranges
• San Bernardino Mountains
• San Jacinto Mountains
• Warner Mountains

References

• USDA National Resource Conservation Service PLANTS Database
• Jepson Flora Project (1993): Nemophila spatulata
• Calflora