- Gilia capitata
Taxobox
name = "Gilia capitata"
image_width = 220px
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Ericales
familia =Polemoniaceae
genus = "Gilia "
species = "G. capitata"
binomial = "Gilia capitata"
binomial_authority = Sims"Gilia capitata" is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common names bluehead gilia and blue field gilia. It is native to much of western North America from
Alaska to northern Mexico, and it can be found on the eastern side of the continent as anintroduced species . It grows in many habitats, especially in sandy or rocky soils. This wildflower is somewhat variable in appearance, with branching, leafy stems reaching anywhere from 10 to 90 centimeters in maximum height and sometimes having glandular hairs on the fleshy herbage. The leaves are divided into toothed or lobed leaflets. Atop the branches of the thick stem are sphericalinflorescence s of 50 to 100 small flowers. Each flower has a throat opening into a spreading corolla which may be white, pink, lavender, or light blue. Thestamen s protrude slightly from the flower's mouth and are white with white, blue, or pink anthers.There are several subspecies, including:
*"G. c." ssp. "abrotanifolia" - native toCalifornia andBaja California
*"G. c." ssp. "capitata" - occurs throughout the range of the species
*"G. c." ssp. "chamissonis" (dune gilia) - endemic to the sand dunes of California's central coast; bears bright blue-violet flowers
*"G. c." ssp. "mediomontana" - native to the Sierra Nevada
*"G. c." ssp. "pacifica" - grows along the coastline ofOregon and California
*"G. c." ssp. "pedemontana" - native to the Sierra Nevada foothills
*"G. c." ssp. "staminea" - found in California andArizona
*"G. c." ssp. "tomentosa" - a rare subspecies known from a few occurrences just north of theSan Francisco Bay Area External links
* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5654,5690,5712 Jepson Manual Treatment]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GICA5 USDA Plants Profile]
* [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Gilia+capitata Photo gallery]
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