Mertensia longiflora

Mertensia longiflora is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names small bluebells and long bluebells.

Mertensia longiflora
Mertensia longiflora near Cashmere, Douglas County Washington
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Mertensia
Species:
M. longiflora
Binomial name
Mertensia longiflora
Greene, 1898
Mertensia longiflora on Badger Mountain, Douglas County Washington

Distribution

It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Montana, where it grows in several types of habitat.

Description

It is a perennial herb producing an erect stem from a branching caudex, approaching 40 centimeters in maximum height. There are a few oval to lance-shaped leaves.

The inflorescence is a dense, often crowded cluster of hanging tubular flowers with expanded, bell-like mouths. They are generally bright blue, but may be lavender to pinkish to nearly white, and measure up to 2.5 centimeters long.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.