Amsonia tomentosa
Amsonia kearneyana
gray amsonia, woolly bluestar
Kearney's blue-star
erect, 11–65 cm, glabrous or tomentose;
branches usually borne on most of stem (occasionally confined to distal portion), well exceeding infructescence.
erect, 39–62(–90) cm, moderately (densely or sparsely) long-pubescent;
branches borne on distal part of stem, often exceeding infructescence.
petiole 1–5 mm, glabrous or tomentose (leaves rarely sessile);
leaf blades slightly or moderately heteromorphic;
stem leaf blades ovate to narrowly lanceolate, narrowly to very narrowly elliptic, or elliptic, (2–)3–5(–6) cm × (3–)4–27 mm, margins entire, not revolute, not ciliate, apex acute (somewhat acuminate), surfaces glabrous or densely (rarely sparsely) tomentose;
branch leaf blades narrower than stem leaf blades, (2.2–)3–4.7(–5.6) cm × (2–)3–6(–13) mm.
petiole 1–3(–5) mm, densely to moderately pubescent (glabrous);
blades heteromorphic;
stem leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate (narrowly oblong-elliptic), 5–7.6 cm × 11–17 mm, margins entire, often slightly revolute, ciliate with usually long cilia (rarely not ciliate), apex acute to acuminate, surfaces long-pubescent on midrib and main veins (rarely glabrous) adaxially;
branch leaf blades narrowly lanceolate, 4.3–5.7 cm × (3–)6–9 mm.
sepals subulate or narrowly deltate (deltate), (2–)3.5–6(–7.5) mm;
corolla tube green to purplish or pinkish green, (7–)8–12(–13) mm, lobes bluish (violet- to lavender-tinged) to white especially after anthesis (pinkish, bluish, or purple-tinged), (2.8–)4.5–8 mm, outer surface of corolla glabrous.
sepals subulate, (3–)4–5(–6) mm;
corolla tube green to purplish, 12–14(–15) mm, lobes white, (2–)3–4 mm, outer surface of corolla glabrous.
(8–)11–17 × (3–)3.9–5.5(–6.3) mm.
6–11 × 3–4(–4.8) mm.
erect (aberrantly deformed and spreading), 2–8(–9.5) cm × (4–)4.8–6.8 mm, apex acuminate, glabrous (partly tomentose).
erect, 3–10 cm × 3.5–5.5 mm, apex short-acuminate, glabrous.
Amsonia tomentosa
Amsonia kearneyana
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Both varieties of Amsonia tomentosa have an unusual pattern of variation in pubescence. Stems and leaves are usually either densely tomentose or glabrous, with intermediate density of pubescence rare. In some populations, the two forms are found together, suggesting that indument may be a single-gene trait.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Amsonia kearneyana is endemic to the Baboquivari Mountains in Pima County; it is listed as endangered. The species is notable for its often densely long-pubescent pedicels and inflorescences and unusually short corolla lobes. These features are not unknown in the widespread and variable A. palmeri, although specimens of that species with corolla tubes longer than 12 mm are uncommon and typically have longer corolla lobes. The seeds of A. kearneyana are broader than those of any other species of subg. Sphinctosiphon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stem leaf blades ovate to lanceolate (narrowly elliptic to elliptic), (6–)8–27 mm wide, branch leaf blades markedly narrower, 4–13 mm wide; w, s Arizona, California, Nevada. | var. tomentosa |
1. Stem leaf blades narrowly to very narrowly elliptic or narrowly lanceolate, (3–)4–8(–10) mm wide, branch leaf blades slightly narrower, (2–)3–6(–7) mm wide; n Arizona, Utah. | var. stenophylla |
CA
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