Kingdom Plantae Family Boraginaceae Scientific name Hackelia amethystina Rank Species | Order (unplaced) Genus Hackelia Higher classification Hackelia | |
Similar Hackelia mundula, Hackelia nervosa, Hackelia velutina, Hackelia, Boraginaceae | ||
Hackelia amethystina is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name amethyst stickseed.
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Distribution
The plant is endemic to northern California.
It is found in meadows and openings of Yellow pine forest habitats from 1,370–2,200 metres (4,490–7,220 ft) in elevation, in the Northern California Coast Ranges and in the northern Sierra Nevada primarily within Plumas County. In the Sierra it is often mistaken in flower for Hackelia nervosa.
Description
Hackelia amethystina is a densely hairy perennial herb 40 to 80 centimeters tall. The leaves around the base of the stem may be up to 30 centimeters long and there are generally several smaller leaves along the stem.
The inflorescence is an array of coils of flowers. Each flower is just over a centimeter wide with blue to pinkish lobes with white appendages at the bases. The fruit is a cluster of prickly nutlets.