Wildflowers of Southern California: A photographic gallery
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Flowers Blue, Lavender, or Purple

  • Plant of grassy fields, sometimes abundant
 
  • Leaves at base, only. No leaves on flowering stem
Wild hyacinth
  • Leaves on main stem
 
  • Flowers in dense clusters
 
  • Flowers blue
Arroyo lupine
  • Flowers purplish, dangling
Winter vetch
  • Flowers occurring singly
Wild radish
  • Plant of semi-shaded areas, as along edge of trails
 
  • Stems or leaves with sharp spines; thistles
 
  • Leaves with white mottling
Milk thistle
  • Leaves not white mottled
 
  • Leaves and stems with numerous spines
Italian thistle
  • Leaves spiny, stems sparingly so
Bull thistle
  • Stems and leaves without sharp spines
 
  • Petals fused at base -- not all separate
 
  • Stems with short, bristly hairs
 
  • Flower cluster a tight fiddle-like coil
Caterpillar phacelia
  • Flower cluster more open; stems weak and straggly
Fiesta flower
  • Stems without bristly hairs
 
  • Flowers with a small tail or spur
Larkspur
  • Flowers without a spur
Foothill penstemon
  • Petals separate
 
  • 4 petals
 
  • Petals narrower toward center of flower
Elegant clarkia
  • Petals wedge shaped, not narrower at center
Purple clarkia
  • 6 petals
Blue-eyed grass

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