Mertensia
Encyclopedia
Mertensia is a genus
of about 40 species
of perennial
herbaceous
plants
with bell-shaped blue flowers opening from pink-tinged bud
s. This is one of several plants commonly called bluebell
.
The genus is named after the German botanist Franz Carl Mertens
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 40 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herbaceous
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
plants
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
with bell-shaped blue flowers opening from pink-tinged bud
Bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
s. This is one of several plants commonly called bluebell
Bluebell
-Plants:* genus Hyacinthoides** Common Bluebell ** Spanish Bluebell * genus Mertensia** Virginia Bluebell * Scottish Bluebell...
.
The genus is named after the German botanist Franz Carl Mertens
Franz Carl Mertens
Franz Carl Mertens was a German botanist who was a native of Bielefeld. He specialized in the field of phycology....
.
Species
There are about 40 species, including:- Mertensia alpina – Alpine Bluebells
- Mertensia arizonica – Aspen Bluebells
- Mertensia bellaMertensia bellaMertensia bella is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names beautiful bluebells and Oregon lungwort. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in wet mountain habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a slender, erect stem and caudex unit up...
– Beautiful Bluebells - Mertensia ciliataMertensia ciliataMertensia ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names tall fringed bluebells and streamside bluebells. It is native to the western United States, where it often grows in moist habitat, such as subalpine meadows and creeksides...
– Mountain Bell - Mertensia drummondii – Drummond's Bluebell
- Mertensia echioides – Chinese Bluebell
- Mertensia franciscana – San Francisco Peak's Bluebells
- Mertensia lanceolata – Prairie bluebell
- Mertensia longifloraMertensia longifloraMertensia longiflora is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names small bluebells and long bluebells. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Montana, where it grows in several types of habitat...
– Longflower Bluebell - Mertensia macdougalii – Macdougal's Bluebells
- Mertensia maritima – Oysterplant, Sea Bluebell
- Mertensia oblongifoliaMertensia oblongifoliaMertensia oblongifolia is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names oblongleaf bluebells and sagebrush bluebells. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in several types of habitat, including meadows and sagebrush...
– Oblongleaf Bluebells - Mertensia paniculataMertensia paniculataThe Tall Lungwort, Tall Bluebell, or Northern Bluebell, Mertensia paniculata is an herb or dwarf shrub with a bright blue coloring, shaped like a bell and drooping...
– Tall Bluebell or Northern Bluebell - Mertensia sibirica (L.) G. Don – Japanese Bluebells
- Mertensia virginica – Virginia Bluebell