Collinsia parviflora [Maiden Blue-eyed Mary]

[Andrea B.]

Blum, A.G. (2013) Collinsia parviflora Lindley (Plantaginaceae) Maiden Blue-eyed Mary. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. http://www.ultraviol...mary/#entry1315

 

Twin Pines, La Plata County, Colorado, USA

28 April 2013

Wildflower

 

Synonyms:

• Small-flowered Collinsia
  
• Antirrhinum tenellum Pursh
  
• Collinsia grandiflora Lindl. var. pusilla A. Gray
  
• Collinsia tenella (Pursh) Piper
  

Comment:

These tiny bits of twinkling blue are delightful to discover against the semi-arid soil of the Colorado slopes in this area. I almost didn't see them at first. C. parviflora is the only Collinsia growing in Colorado, but the species is widely distributed in the western US and Canada. It was used medicinally by some Native American tribes.

In UV, the 5mm corolla is very UV-dark with the upper lobes slightly darker than the lower. The leaves show some iridescence with conical cells evident in the original non-resized photos.

 

Reference:

1. Weber & Wittmann (2012) Collinsia Nuttall, page 341. Colorado Flora: Western Slope, 4th Ed. The U. of Colo. Press, Boulder, CO.

 

Equipment:

[Nikon D600-broadband + Nikon 105mm f/4.5 UV-Nikkor]

 

Visible Light [f/8 for 1/800" @ ISO 200 with Nikon D50]

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/60” @ ISO 400 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/11 for 1/60” @ ISO 400 with SB-14 UV-modified Flash and Baader UV-Pass Filter]

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/60” @ ISO 400 Sunlight with Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/11 1/100” @ ISO 400 with SB-14 UV-modified Flash and Baader UV-Pass Filter]

[colinbm]

Pictures didn't follow Andrea ??

Col

[Andrea B.]

Sometimes I'm working away and I get interrupted or it gets late, so I don't manage to get the formal post completed in one sitting. I forgot to mark this one "in progress".