Collinsia parviflora Lindl.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Collinsia
 
Species Synonyms: Antirrhinum tenellum Pursh
Collinsia grandiflora var. pusilla Gray
Collinsia tenella (Pursh) Piper
Common Names: small-flowered blue-eyed Mary
blue-lips
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: British Columbia – southwestern and southeastern Alberta – southwestern and east-central Saskatchewan, southeastern Manitoba – Ontario
Saskatchewan: southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hill, Amisk Lake
Ecoregion: Cypress Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Churchill River Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: aspen or pine woods, clearings, and roadsides
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 S2
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Collinsia parviflora is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It occurs in two general regions of the province, but the populations are separated by a wide distance. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats known but may occur in the future.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 5 – 30 cm
Stems: erect, slender, purplish, puberulent, may be glandular in inflorescence and glabrous below, simple or branched, often decumbent at the base
Leaves: cauline, opposite or with upper leaves whorled, petiole short, 1.5 – 3 cm long, 3 – 5 mm wide, linear to oblanceolate to lower ones orbicular, apex obtuse to rounded, margin mostly entire
Inflorescence: flowers solitary or in whorls of 2 – 6; pedicels 4 – 10 mm long, elongating and becoming reflexed in fruit; subtended by upper leaves
Flowers: calyx 4.5 – 5.5 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes lanceolate, sinuses rounded; corolla 4 – 5.5 mm long, strongly bilabiate, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip deflexed, blue with a white upper lip; stamens 4, didynamous, filaments glabrous; staminode scale-like
Fruits: capsule 2-seeded
 
SCROPHULARIACEAE KEY FOR GENERA FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Stamens 2
2
1 Stamens 4 or 5
4
   
2 Leaves alternate or all basal; corolla absent
Besseya
2 Leaves opposite; corolla present
3
 
3 Calyx 4-lobed; stamens exserted
Veronica
3 Calyx 5-lobed; stamens inserted
Gratiola
 
4 Leaves all basal
5
4 At least some leaves cauline
6
 
5 Flowers solitary; corolla rotate to campanulate; leaves usually entire or toothed
Limosella
5 Flowers in spicate racemes; corolla bilabiate; leaves pinnately lobed or cleft
Pedicularis
 
6 Corolla spurred
7
6 Corolla not spurred
9
 
7 Corolla bluish-purple, 4.5 – 6 mm long, excluding spur; flowers solitary in leaf axils
Chaenorrhinum
7 Corolla yellow or blue, 10 – 13 mm long, excluding spur; flowers in terminal racemes
8
 
8 Slender annual, 10 – 40 cm tall; corolla blue
Nuttallanthus
8 Stout perennial, 30 – 100 cm tall; corolla yellow and orange
Linaria
 
9 Floral bracts coloured, concealing flowers
Castilleja
9 Floral bracts green, flowers evident
10
 
10 Cauline leaves alternate
11
10 Cauline leaves opposite
13
 
11 Stamens 5, filaments villous; corolla actinomorphic, distinctly 5-lobed
Verbascum
11 Stamens 4, filaments glabrous; corolla zygomorphic, indistinctly 5-lobed
12
 
12 Basal leaves absent; cauline leaves usually entire, linear; flowers yellow; stamens not enclosed by galea
Orthocarpus
12 Basal leaves commonly present; cauline leaves toothed or pinnately lobed; flowers yellow to white or purple; stamens enclosed by galea
Pedicularis
 
13 Calyx 4-lobed
14
13 Calyx 5-lobed
17
 
14 Corolla pink or purple
Odontites
14 Corolla white to yellow
15
 
15 Calyx about 1 cm long in flower, enlarged, veiny, and membranous in fruit
Rhinanthus
15 Calyx less than 1 cm long in flower, not enlarged in fruit
16
 
16 Leaves 2 – 10 mm long, lobed, upper leaves sessile
Euphrasia
16 Leaves 10 – 40 mm long, more or less entire, upper leaves petiolate
Melampyrum
 
17 Staminode present, filamentous
Penstemon
17 Staminode absent or scale-like
18
 
18 Flowers blue; stamens enclosed by lower lip; upper cauline leaves whorled
Collinsia
18 Flowers greenish to yellow or reddish; stamens not enclosed by lower lip; cauline leaves all opposite
19
 
19 Corolla green with reddish or purple tinge; flowers less conspicuous, less than 1 cm long; calyx segments deeply parted
Scrophularia
19 Corolla yellow or pinkish red; flowers large and showy, 1 – 4 cm long; calyx segments united into tube
Mimulus