Amsonia palmeri
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Palmer's bluestar
eastern blue-star
erect, 23–62(–80) cm, glabrous or moderately (somewhat densely or sparsely) pubescent;
branches usually borne on distal portion of stem (occasionally below midpoint), not or slightly exceeding infructescence.
erect (ascending), 27–102 cm, glabrous (sparsely pubescent);
branches borne on distal portion of stem, much exceeding infructescence.
petiole 0–2(–3) mm, glabrous or moderately (sparsely) pubescent;
blades heteromorphic or all very narrow;
stem leaf blades narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong, narrowly lanceolate, or linear, 4.5–7.5(–9.2) cm × 2–18 mm, margins entire, sometimes slightly revolute, moderately short-ciliate if leaf blade is pubescent, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous or moderately (sparsely) pubescent;
branch leaf blades very narrowly lanceolate or very narrowly elliptic to linear, 3.5–6(–6.8) cm × 1–5(–7) mm.
petiole 1.5–7(–9) mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent or glabrous;
blades not heteromorphic;
stem leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, ovate, narrowly elliptic, or elliptic, (2.5–)3.3–12.5(–14.4) cm × (8–)11–50(–65) mm, margins entire to subentire, not to moderately revolute, ciliate or not, apex acuminate to acute (rarely with a rounded tip), surfaces sparsely pubescent abaxially (and sparsely scabrous or short-pubescent adaxially) or glabrous;
branch leaf blades similar to stem leaf blades.
sepals narrowly deltate to subulate, (2–)3–5(–7) mm;
corolla tube bluish or purplish green or green, 7.5–12(–17) mm, lobes white to blue or yellowish white, (2.5–)3–5(–7) mm, outer surface of corolla glabrous.
sepals deltate to narrowly deltate, (0.4–)0.5–1.8(–2.3) mm;
corolla tube bluish (rarely to lilac), sometimes greenish above, (5–)6–8(–8.8) mm, lobes pale blue (rarely to dark or lilac-blue or white), (5–)6–9.8(–12) mm, outer surface of corolla with 5 patches of long trichomes at corolla lobe bases and distal part of tube (very rarely glabrate).
6–10 × 1–2.5 mm.
(5–)5.5–10.8 × (1.2–)1.5–2.4(–3.3) mm.
erect, 2–10(–13) cm × 2–4 mm, apex acuminate, glabrous.
erect to pendulous (spreading), (5–)7–15 cm × 2.1–4(–4.2) mm, apex acuminate (acute), glabrous.
Amsonia palmeri
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Leaf morphology and pubescence are quite variable in Amsonia palmeri; if stem leaves are broad, then the plant is noticeably heterophyllous at maturity with narrow branch leaves. Glabrous and pubescent individuals often occur in mixed populations (S. P. McLaughlin 1982). The species can be distinguished from A. tharpii in part by the adaxial base of the corolla lobes being glabrous (vs. frequently pubescent in A. tharpii). Amsonia palmeri is fairly widespread in Arizona, especially in southern and western counties, but is confined to limited portions of southwestern New Mexico and western Texas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).
Amsonia tabernaemontana encompasses a great deal of morphological diversity, particularly in leaf size and shape and sepal indument and length, which is to some extent geographically correlated; therefore, the recognition of varieties seems desirable. However, the varieties are not well differentiated and tend to blend into one another, especially where their ranges overlap.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stems ascending (erect); stem leaf blades (2.5–)3.3–7.4 cm; sepals usually sparsely pubescent; e Texas, Oklahoma. | var. repens |
1. Stems erect; stem leaf blades (4–)6.5–12(–14.4) cm; sepals pubescent or glabrous; widespread in se to sc United States. | → 2 |
2. Sepals narrowly deltate or less often deltate, (0.5–)0.9–1.6(–1.9) mm, usually sparsely to moderately long-pubescent in flower (often becoming glabrous or glabrate in fruit); Illinois, Arkansas to Kansas, Oklahoma. | var. illustris |
2. Sepals deltate (seldom narrowly deltate), (0.4–)0.5–1.1(–1.6) mm, glabrous (glabrate with rare single hairs); widespread. | → 3 |
3. Stem leaf blades lanceolate to ovate, narrowly elliptic, or elliptic, (5.3–)8–12(–14) cm × (17–)24–50(–65) mm. | var. tabernaemontana |
3. Stem leaf blades narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate (or narrowly elliptic when young), (4–)6.5–10(–11.5) cm × 10–22(–25) mm. | var. salicifolia |
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