''Collinsia corymbosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name round-headed Chinese houses. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the coastline of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

north of the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

, where it is uncommon and scattered. Its habitat is the

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

of the immediate coastline. This is an

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

producing a scaly, hairy, red to reddish green stem which grows upright or decumbent to a maximum length of about 25 centimeters. The thick, sparsely hairy leaves are rippled and lobed along the edges, which may be somewhat turned under. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a dense whorl of several distinctive flowers. Each has a hairy calyx of lobed reddish

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s and a corolla up to about 2 centimeters long. The flower has two small upper lobes and three longer lower lobes which come together in a nearly tubular shape. It is generally white with a light purple tint. The smaller upper lobes curl back and dry to brown at their lips.

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
corymbosa Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Plants described in 1868 {{Plantaginaceae-stub