Collomia grandiflora

Collomia grandiflora

Nectary

Collomia grandiflora (common name: large-flowered collomia)

With a seemingly ironic name, these dice-sized flowers are anything but large; however, the term is relative as these trumpet-shaped blossoms are twice the size of Collomia linearis—the first documented flower in this genus named for their sticky seeds. The five-petaled, salmon-colored blossoms are found in compact heads on red-branch tips, with stamens covered in a deep blue pollen to form richly colored pollen baskets on the legs of bumblebees. The annual prefer dry soil in light forested areas and has a robust tap-root which allows the flower to tolerate droughts. After flowering, pods with sticky seeds turn brown and explode when fully ripe to seed freely.