Taxon Report

Phacelia sericea (Graham) Gray var. ciliosa Rydb.

blue alpine phacelia

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa, commonly known as blue alpine phacelia, is a perennial herb in the Hydrophyllaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Upper montane coniferous forest (rocky), growing at elevations from 2100 to 2700 meters. Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Phacelia sericea (Graham) Gray var. ciliosa Rydb.
Common Name:	blue alpine phacelia
Family:	Hydrophyllaceae
Element Code:	PDHYD0C4A1
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	2100-2700 (6890-8860)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5T4T5
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_UCSC
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	13
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	3
Good (B)	7
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	2

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Modoc (MOD), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
China Mtn. (4112245), Eagle Peak (4112032), Emerson Peak (4112022), Payne Peak (4112053), Warren Peak (4112042)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	23 %
Grazing	2	15%
Development	1	7%

Notes



Known in CA only from the Warner Mtns. (MOD Co.) and China Mtn. (SIS Co.).
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2018)

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 24 October 2025].