Gilia sp. – “Gilia”

Family: Phlox (Polemoniaceae)
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Sandy soils
Leaves: Various: simple or pinnate, toothed or entire; mostly basal, generally decreasing in size as they climb the stem
Translation: “Gilia” is named for Felippo Luigo Gilii (1756-1821), Italian naturalist, astronomer and author.
Notes: There are 25-50 species in the Gilia genus and only a trained botanist can tell some species apart. In the photograph of this plant, note the blue pollen on both the tips of the flower’s anthers and the pollinating fly. Other species have flowers that are yellow, white, or somewhere else along the red-purple-blue spectrum.
Animal Associations: Leaves are eaten by various critters, and the flowers are visited by many different pollinators.