Glade Phacelia, Smallflower Phacelia, Appalachian Phacelia, Central Basin Phacelia, Small-flowered Scorpionweed - Phacelia dubia
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Phacelia dubia - Glade Phacelia, Smallflower Phacelia, Appalachian Phacelia, Central Basin Phacelia, Small-flowered Scorpionweed. There are around 150 species of Phacelia in North America, with additional species in South America. The genus is absent in only 5 states. Most of the species are found in the western half of the United States, with less than a dozen found in the Southeast. Some authorities place Phacelia in the family Boraginaceae rather than Hydrophyllaceae.
Phacelia dubia is one of those southeastern species, ranging from as far north as New York and south to Georgia; west to Arkansas and Louisiana. There are three commonly recognized varieties of this plant: var. dubia, the most widely distributed variety; var. georgiana, which is found in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina (SC specimens might not be var. georgiana, perhaps are a 4th variety); and var. interior, found only in central Tennessee. The photographs on this page are var. interior. The varieties are distinguished by small morphological differences.
Found in:
AL, AR, DC, DE, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV | 
Distribution of Phacelia dubia in the United States and Canada:
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key
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| | Site: Couchville Cedar Glade, Davidson County, TN Date: 2017-May-11 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000
Tamron | | The flowers of Phacelia dubia are 5-lobed and among the smaller of the Phacelias, usually less than 1/2-inch across. They are pale blue, pale pink, or white. The flowers and plant resemble Miami Mist (Phacelia purshii), except the flowers of Phacelia dubia are not fringed. | | 
| | Site: Couchville Cedar Glade, Davidson County, TN Date: 2017-May-11 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | The shape and size of the sepals and the hairs on the sepal margins are diagnostics to the species and variety between the small-flowered Phacelia dubia and Phacelia maculata. The sepals of P. maculata are larger and are relatively narrower with longer, widely spreading hairs, while P. dubia has more ovate sepals with shorter, more appressed margin hairs. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Couchville Cedar Glade, Davidson County, TN Date: 2017-May-11 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | Phacelia dubia is a relatively short plant, with its stems rarely growing over about 15 inches high, and since the stems are weak, it might recline lower than that under the weight of its flowers. The plant may have several stems branching from the base. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Couchville Cedar Glade, Davidson County, TN Date: 2017-May-11 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000 | | The leaves are hairy (as is the stem) and on short petioles of less than an inch; upper leaves may be sessile. They are pinnately lobed with up to 5 pairs of lobes. The number and width of the lobes are diagnostics to the variety of Phacelia dubia; I have insufficient information to provide discussion on that characteristic. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
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References used for identification and information:
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