Boraginaceae

• Phacelias and several related genera form one of the most familiar groups of desert annuals. Desert Phacelia species produce some of the most spectacular and colorful display in years with good rainfall, covering broad areas of flats and bajada slopes with masses of blue or purple flowers. Unlike some species of Asteraceae and Onagraceae where a single species covers broad areas, flowering displays of pahcelias typically include multiple species. Phacelia is one of the largest genera in California, with 93 species with 34 of these in our deserts. A characteristic of the genus is the presene of dense glandular hairs on the stems and foliage. A significant number of people are sensitive to the glandular secretions of phacelia and develop a rash similar to that of poison oak.
• Most of our desert phacelias are erect annuals with distinctly divided basal leaflets and stem leaves that are deeply lobed. "California Native Plants, Philip W Rundel, Robert J Gustafson, Michael E Kauffmann."