Phacelia, the phacelias or scorpionweeds, is a large plant genus. It contains about 200 species of herbs, native of Western North America (the most), Eastern USA and South America.
The genus is traditionally placed at family rank with the waterleaves (Hydrophyllaceae) in the order Boraginales. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, recognizing that the traditional Boraginaceae and Hydrophyllaceae are paraphyletic with respect to each other merges the latter into the former and considers the family basal in the Euasterids I clade. Other botanists continue to recognize the Hydrophyllaceae and Boraginales, but to make them monophyletic the present genus be moved to the Boraginaceae.[verification needed]
Many species are cultivated as garden plants and for honey plant.
Contact with some species of Phacelia can cause a very unpleasant rash similar to that from poison oak and poison ivy in sensitive individuals. The major contact allergen of Phacelia crenulata has been identified as geranylhydroquinone.
Selected species
- Phacelia bolanderi "? Bolander's Phacelia
- Phacelia calthifolia "? Caltha-leaved Phacelia
- Phacelia campanularia "? California Bluebell
- Phacelia cicutaria "? Caterpillar Phacelia
- Phacelia crenulata "? Notch-leaved Phacelia
- Phacelia fimbriata "? Fringed Phacelia
- Phacelia fremontii "? Fremont Phacelia
- Phacelia hastata"? Silverleaf Phacelia
- Phacelia minor "? Whitlavia
- Phacelia purshii "? Miami Mist
- Phacelia sericea "? Silky Phacelia
Phacelia argentea
Phacelia californica
Phacelia congesta
Phacelia parryi
Phacelia rotundifolia
Phacelia secunda
Phacelia sericea
Phacelia tanacetifolia
See also
- List of Phacelia species
- Wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains
