Collomia linearis : Collomia

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Genera: Collomia (Collomia) (Gk. kolla=glue; referring to the seed covering which becomes very sticky when wet.)

Species: linearis (Latin for linear; referring to the narrow leaves.)

English Name(s):

Collomia, Slenderleaf Gilia

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Erect herbaceous plant.
• Stems to 40 cm tall, branched or unbranched, pubescent (hairy), leafy.

Leaves:

• 1-9 cm long by 2-12 mm wide.
• Sessile (not stalked)
• Margins entire (smooth).
• Simple (one-bladed) and narrowly lanceolate in shape.

Reproductive Parts:

• Calyx (sepals) united, 5-lobed.
• Corolla (petals) united, 5-lobed. Lobes radiating outward and very showy.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual), and regular in symmetry.
• Ovary is superior (above recepticle), and 3-loculed (chambered).
• Stamens (male parts) 5, attached to corolla tube.
• Corolla (petals) tubular, 10-15 mm long, pinkish to purple to white in colour. Petal lobes about 2 mm long.
• Flowers few to several, small and inconspicuous, in terminal leafy clusters.

Seed:

• Fruit is a capsule.
• Seeds numerous and mucilagenous (with mucus) and producing spiraling threads when wet.

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

• The seeds are ejected from the capsule under force. They are then cemented to the soil by an adhesive material that is exuded by the seed-hisk when moistened.
• The small flowers are self-pollenating.

Life Cycle:

• Annual

Seasonal Cycle:

• Blooming in early July.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Introduced in disturbed situations.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: