Ballhead Gilia

Ipomopsis congesta

Synonym: Gilia congesta

Family: Polemoniaceae – Phlox Family

Perennial herbs or subshrubs from taproots; stems 1.97” to 2.6' (0.5 to 8 dm) tall

Leaves: basal and/or alternate; simple; entire to pinnatifid or palmatifid; 0.2” to 1.6” (0.5 to 4 cm) long or more

Flowers: 5 white or purplish united tubular petals in clusters; 5 lobed sepals; stamens usually 5; 1 pistil; flower lobes are 0.06” to 0.12” (1.5 to 3 mm) long

Pollinators: other species in this family are pollinated by insects (specifically bumblebees and beeflies) and hummingbirds

Fruits: capsule

Blooms in Arches National Park: May, June, July

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities

Location seen: park road mile 0 to 3, Park Avenue, park road mile 11 to12

Other: The genus name, “Ipomopsis”, is from the Greek “ipo” which means “to strike" and “opsis” which means "appearance", so put together means “striking appearance”. The genus name, “Gilia”, honors Filippo Luigi Gilii (1756-1821), clergyman, a scientist and astronomer. The species name, “congesta”, means “arranged very closely together, very crowded”.