|
| Pholistoma auritum |
| Family: Boraginaceae (Borage) |
| Flowers — color: blue, size: 1", type: 5 petals |
From a distance, this flower resembles the flower of purple nightshade. It has five blue-violet petals that almost reach 1-inch diameter. Each petal fades to lavender towards the base. The center has a dark violet ring with yellow and white highlighting the target. Five violet stamens with dark anthers rise from the center creating a bullseye. The flower stem has multiple buds that bloom serially.
Habit:
Fiesta flower is a rambling annual vine. Each leaf has multiple smooth lobes, larger at the base, like a Christmas tree. The leaves get smaller and have fewer lobes moving out along the vine. The square stem and leaves have many sticky hairs that grab neighboring vegetation as it struggles skyward. This may produce quite a tangle in large colonies.
By legend, young Spanish ladies would use the clingy properties of the flower to decorate their dresses for parties. Hence the common name, "Fiesta Flower". The spreading display of blue flowers resembles distant phacelia, also in the Borage family.
Observations:
Shady or partial shade with 'supporting actors'.