Amsonia tomentosa
Amsonia tabernaemontana
gray amsonia, woolly bluestar
eastern bluestar
erect, 11–65 cm, glabrous or tomentose;
branches usually borne on most of stem (occasionally confined to distal portion), well exceeding infructescence.
erect (ascending), 27–102 cm, glabrous (sparsely pubescent);
branches borne on distal portion of stem, much 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 1.5–7(–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 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 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).
(8–)11–17 × (3–)3.9–5.5(–6.3) mm.
(5–)5.5–10.8 × (1.2–)1.5–2.4(–3.3) mm.
erect (aberrantly deformed and spreading), 2–8(–9.5) cm × (4–)4.8–6.8 mm, apex acuminate, glabrous (partly tomentose).
erect to pendulous (spreading), (5–)7–15 cm × 2.1–4(–4.2) mm, apex acuminate (acute), glabrous.
Amsonia tomentosa
Amsonia tabernaemontana
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.)
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. 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 |
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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