Mertensia longiflora
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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, Chelan 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 | |
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 growing from branched and tuberous roots[1] in the form of a caudex. The erect stem averages about 18 centimetres (7+1⁄8 in) in height.[1] There are a few oval to lance-shaped leaves.
The inflorescence is a dense, often crowded cluster of hanging tubular flowers which are fused at the base and expand into lobed and bell-like mouths.[1] They are generally bright blue, but may be lavender to pinkish to nearly white, and measure up to 2.5 cm long.
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