Serpentine Collomia

Description

Collomia diversifolia is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name serpentine collomia. It is endemic to California, where it is an uncommon member of the serpentine soils flora in the North Coast Ranges from the northern San Francisco Bay Area to Shasta County. It is a small annual herb with many branches bearing dark, slightly hairy, lance-shaped leaves, the most basal ones having three small teeth. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flowers each about a centimeter wide. The star-shaped flower has pointed violet lobes with yellowish bases coming together at a purple throat.