Phacelia, Caterpillar,  Phacelia cicutaria

Midseason bloomer.  Five dirty white petals, flowers in coiled clusters, hairy plant.  Weak leaning stems, annual plant.

Notes:  Phacelia comes from the Greek, phakelos meaning bundle.  When the flowers unfold they take on a fuzzy look.  Prefer dry slopes.

Click on species name below to go to USDA for this plant

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants 
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants 
        Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants 
            Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants 
                Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons 
                    Subclass Asteridae 
                        Order Solanales 
                            Family Hydrophyllaceae -- Waterleaf family 
                                Genus Phacelia Juss. -- phacelia 
                                    Species Phacelia cicutaria Greene -- caterpillar phacelia 

Phacelia, Caterpillar,  Phacelia cicutaria

This picture better shows the Caterpillar Phacelia leaves, which are quite distinct from the leaves of the Vari-leaf Phacelia

Better close-up, by Andy Heninger

Close-up which also shows the leaves, by Andy Heninger