Collinsia parviflora


Collinsia parviflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae known by the common names maiden blue eyed Mary and small-flowered collinsia.
This tiny wildflower is a common plant throughout much of western and northern North America, where it grows in moist, shady mountain forests.

Description

Collinsia parviflora is an annual plant with a spindly reddish stem and narrow lance-shaped green leaves with edges that curl under.
The minuscule flowers grow singly or in loose clusters of several flowers. Each flower has five lobes, the lower deep blue to purple and the upper white. The whole corolla is only a few millimeters across.
The fruit is a small capsule.

Genetics

Mutants of this species show magenta and white flowers, instead of the typical blue, which is cause by epistasis. The leaves may show purple spots, depending on another mutation.