Phacelia malvifolia Calflora

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Taxon Report

Phacelia malvifolia Cham.

Stinging phacelia

Phacelia malvifolia is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.

also called Phacelia malvifolia var. malvifolia


	Plant Range Observation Search ~595 records in California Plant Characteristics

Bloom Period

Photos on Calflora


Subspecies and Varieties:
... var. loasifolia ... var. malvifolia
Genus:	Phacelia
Family:	Hydrophyllaceae
Category:	angiosperm
PLANTS group:	Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Severe skin irritation from touching the leaf or stem of this plant.

Communities: Northern Coastal Scrub, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Redwood Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:


JEF	Phacelia malvifolia var. malvifolia

Information about Phacelia malvifolia from other sources


Nursery availability from CNPLX This plant is available commercially. Jepson eFlora USDA PLANTS Profile (PHMA2) Photos on Calflora Photos on CalPhotos Google Images Photos on iNaturalist ID Tips on PlantID.net	ITIS Original Publication citation International Plants Names Index Search efloras.org (Flora of North America) Landscape information from Calscape BONAP Distribution Map Consortium of California Herbaria 2 Search the Native American Ethnobotany Database	Add an Observation Location Suitability Planting Guide Distribution by County
Ensikat et al.: Distribution, Ecology, Chemistry and Toxicology of Plant Stinging Hairs: Closely allied Hydrophyllaceae have several representatives with hard, hollow, mineralized trichomes in the genus Phacelia (e.g., Phacelia malvifolia), but these appear to be just stiff spiny hairs without the ability to inject caustic liquids. photos / record / common / links

Suggested Citation

Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/ (Accessed: 03/30/2025).