Frasera albicaulis |
Frasera umpquaensis |
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white-stem elkweed, white-stem frasera |
Umpqua frasera, Umpqua frasera or green-gentian, Umpqua green-gentian |
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Habit | Herbs perennial, 1–6.5 dm. | Herbs monocarpic, 3–14 dm, glabrous. | ||||||||||||||||
Stems | 1–few, with several rosettes. |
1. |
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Leaf | blades narrowly white-margined; basal oblanceolate, 4–23 × 0.3–1.2(–2) cm, basal leaves generally longer than lowest internode; cauline leaves opposite, proximal blades oblanceolate to oblong, distal linear-oblong. |
blades not white-margined; basal spatulate-obovate, 15–60 (including proximal petiolar portions) × 3–17 cm; cauline leaves generally whorled, blade widely elliptic to ovate, apex obtuse to acute (proximal) to acuminate (distal). |
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Inflorescences | narrow, 1.5–4(–5) cm wide, interrupted proximally, ± continuous distally. |
dense, sometimes interrupted proximally. |
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Flowers | calyx 3–7(–12) mm; corolla greenish white to pale or medium blue, usually dark blue- to purple-dotted and/or with a dark blue, purple, or green central stripe (except in var. idahoensis), 6–12 mm, lobes oblong-obovate-elliptic, widest near midlength, abruptly tapering to acute to short-acuminate apex; androecial corona scales present, variable among the varieties; style slender, distinct; nectaries and foveae 1 per corolla lobe, foveae distal to nectary, opening into an elliptic-oblong to lance-ovate differentiated area on the corolla surface, rim fringed all around but with fringes shorter distally, or not fringed toward distal end. |
calyx 7–15 mm; corolla white or pale greenish yellow, pale yellow near midvein, sometimes with violet-blue tinge, not spotted, 5.3–11 mm, lobes ovate-oblong, apex acuminate; androecial corona a dense fringe to 5 mm; style short, ± stout and indistinctly differentiated from summit of ovary; nectaries and foveae 1 per corolla lobe, foveae round or nearly so, opening directly adaxial to nectary, without a differentiated area on the corolla surface, rim raised, with long, incurved fringes all around. |
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2n | = 78. |
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Frasera albicaulis |
Frasera umpquaensis |
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Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer. | |||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Mountain meadows, open woods. | |||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 1200–2000 m. (3900–6600 ft.) | |||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
w United States
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CA; OR |
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Discussion | Varieties 5 (5 in the flora). Frasera albicaulis varies in vegetative and abaxial corolla puberulence and in the size and dissection of the androecial corona. It has sometimes been divided into several species and additional varieties, but, from the material available for study at the time of this writing, it appears appropriate to recognize only five varieties, although F. ackermaniae might be considered for inclusion at varietal rank. Each of these varieties has a more or less distinct geographic range, but some intergrade. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Former uncertainty as to the distinctness of Frasera umpquaensis from F. fastigiata has been cleared up by B. L. Wilson et al. (2010). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. | ||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Gentianaceae > Frasera | Gentianaceae > Frasera | ||||||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Synonyms | Leucocraspedum albicaule, Swertia albicaulis | Swertia umpquaensis | ||||||||||||||||
Name authority | Grisebach in W. J. Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 67, plate 154. (1837) | M. Peck & Applegate: Madroño 6: 12. (1941) | ||||||||||||||||
Web links |