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Taxon  Report  
Phacelia malvifolia  Cham.
Stinging phacelia
Phacelia malvifolia is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
also called Phacelia malvifolia var. malvifolia
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Phacelia
Family: Hydrophyllaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Severe skin irritation from touching the leaf or stem of this plant.

Communities: Northern Coastal Scrub, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Redwood Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS
Alternate Names:
JEFPhacelia malvifolia var. malvifolia
Information about  Phacelia malvifolia from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (PHMA2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

Ensikat et al.: Distribution, Ecology, Chemistry and Toxicology of Plant Stinging Hairs: Closely allied Hydrophyllaceae have several representatives with hard, hollow, mineralized trichomes in the genus Phacelia (e.g., Phacelia malvifolia), but these appear to be just stiff spiny hairs without the ability to inject caustic liquids.

Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/23/2024).