Waterleaf Family, Hydrophyllaceae

Photo by Bob Howe Purple mat photographed by Robert Howe near Dos Cabezas

The scientific name for the Waterleaf Family is Hydrophyllaceae. Hydro means water. These plants respond to water, growing nicely after good rains.

Purple mat (pictured above), Desert Canterbury Bells, and Wild-Heliotrope are family members.

The purple mat is a tiny plant best seen when it grows beside dozens of other such flowers to form the kind of ground covering that gives the plant its name.

Desert Canterbury bells grow in small numbers compared to other phacelias, but they are always a pleasure to come across in the field.

A characteristic that members of the Waterleaf Family share is flowers growing from coiled stems. Hydrophyllaceae are similar to plants of the Borage family in this regard.

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