SafePlants

Torrey's Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia torreyi)

Common Names

• Torrey's blue-eyed Mary
• Torrey's Collinsia
• Davidson's Blue-Eyed Mary
• Davidson's Collinsia

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Collinsia torreyi A. Gray
• Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family), formerly Scrophulariaceae
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Taxonomic Rank: Species, Variety (e.g., Collinsia torreyi var. latifolia Newsom, Collinsia torreyi var. torreyi, Collinsia torreyi var. brevicarinata)
• Synonym: Collinsia bartsiifolia var. davidsonii

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to California and adjacent areas.
• Observed in locations such as Yosemite National Park, Bald Mountain Botanical Area (Sequoia National Forest), and the Kern Plateau.
• Found in the Sierra Nevada region of California.
• Prefers sandy soil.

Morphological Characteristics

• Annual herb.
• Small, widely branched plant.
• Develops in an erect manner.
• Flowers are bilaterally symmetrical and arranged in an open cluster on slender stalks.
• Corolla is approximately 0.3 inches (0.8 cm) wide.
• Flowers have two upper white petals and two lower blue or purple petals.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Often found blooming alongside mustang clover.
• Can be found in forests with whisker bush, single-stemmed groundsel, pine violet, Sierra nemophila, and Macloskey's violet.

Quirky Facts

• The plant's name, "blue-eyed Mary," and its multi-colored appearance, may have led to it being called a "Sacred spirit" in some contexts.

Further Information

• Discover Life offers a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Collinsia torreyi.
• Additional information may be found at Saint Mary's College of California.