Nemophila maculata

Nemophila maculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	(unplaced)
Family:	Boraginaceae
Subfamily:	Hydrophylloideae
Genus:	Nemophila
Species:	N. maculata
Binomial name
Nemophila maculata Benth. ex Lindl.

Nemophila maculata, with common names baby blue eyes and fivespot, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family (Boraginaceae). It is endemic to California.

Distribution

The wildflower is found on slopes in elevations between 20–1,000 metres (66–3,281 ft). It is most common in the Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, and the California Coast Ranges in the San Francisco Bay Area.

It is found in several plant communities, including valley grassland, foothill woodland, and pine and fir forest.

Description

Nemophila maculata is an annual herb that flowers in the spring. The leaves are up to 3 centimeters long and 1.5 wide, and are divided into several smooth or toothed lobes.

The flowers are bowl-shaped, white with dark veins and dots. The lobe tips are purple-spotted. The corolla is 1 to 2 centimeters long and up to 5 centimeters wide. The flowers' spots, giving the common name fivespot, evolved to attract its primary pollinators, which are solitary bees. Male and female bees feed on the nectar and females collect pollen to feed their larvae.

The seeds are greenish-brown and are smooth or shallowly pitted. The fruit produces up to 12 seeds. The entire fruiting and seed cycle begins in spring and ends in the summer.

Cultivation

Nemophila maculata is sown as an annual ornamental plant in traditional, native plant, and pollinator/wildlife gardens.

External links

• Calflora Database: Nemophila maculata (baby blue eyes)
• Jepson Flora Project (1993): Nemophila maculata
• USDA Plants profile for Nemophila maculata (baby blue eyes)
• Nemophila maculata — UC Photos gallery