Mertensia oblongifolia
Encyclopedia
Mertensia 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
. It is a perennial herb producing an many erect stems from a thick, branching caudex
, approaching 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are oval to lance-shaped, located all along the stem. The inflorescence
is a dense, sometimes crowded cluster of hanging blue tubular flowers with expanded, bell-like mouths. The flower measures 1 to 2 centimeters long.
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this 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
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
. It is a perennial herb producing an many erect stems from a thick, branching caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
, approaching 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are oval to lance-shaped, located all along the stem. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense, sometimes crowded cluster of hanging blue tubular flowers with expanded, bell-like mouths. The flower measures 1 to 2 centimeters long.