Nemophila
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Nemophila | ||||||||||||
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Missing image BabyBlueEyes.jpg Baby blue eyes, Nemophila menziesii var. atomaria | ||||||||||||
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Species | ||||||||||||
The genus Nemophila in the flowering plant family Hydrophyllaceae, contains a number of species whose common names include the phrase "baby blue eyes".
On its own, the name Baby blue eyes belongs to Nemophila menziesii, but N. parviflora, for example, is called the Smallflower baby blue eyes. An exception to this naming tendency is N. maculata, whose common name is the Fivespot.
All species of Nemophila are annuals, and most bloom in the spring. Their flowers have five petals and are bell or cup-shaped, and purple, blue, or white in colour, often with patterns of spots. They are mainly native to the western United States, though some species are also found in western Canada and Mexico, and in the southeastern United States. Nemophila are commonly offered for sale for garden cultivation; these are generally N. menziesii.