| Baby blue eyes | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Nemophila |
| Species: | N. menziesii |
| Binomial name | |
| Nemophila menziesii | |
Nemophila menziesii, known commonly asbaby blue eyes orbaby's-blue-eyes,[1] is an annual herb, native to westernNorth America.[2][3]
Historically, it was eaten by cows kept by theKawaiisu.[4]
The plant is native toCalifornia,Baja California, andOregon.[2]
It grows virtually throughout California at elevations from sea level up to almost 6,500 feet (2,000 m). It grows in many types ofhabitats, includingchaparral, valleygrasslands, and montane locales.[3][2]
Nemophila menziesii is variable in appearance. Lower leaves are stalked, lobed and oppositely arranged, 10–50 millimetres (0.4–2.0 in) with five to thirteen lobes, each entire or with one to three teeth. Upper leaves are more or less sessile and less lobed than lower. The stalk of the inflorescence is 20–60 millimetres (0.8–2.4 in). Calyx lobes are 4–8 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in). The flower is blue with a white center or all white, usually with blue veins and black dots near the center. It is 6–40 millimetres (0.2–1.6 in) wide. The tube is less than or equal to the filaments.
The species includes threevarieties:[3]
It is also cultivated as anornamental plant, as annual wildflower innative plant,water conserving, traditional, andwildlife gardens.
It can occasionally be found outside its native range as anintroduced species, such as inAlaska.[5]
Media related toNemophila menziesii at Wikimedia Commons