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deer's-ears, elkweed, frasera, giant frasera, monument plant

cluster frasera, cluster frasera or green-gentian, cluster green gentian, Umpqua green-gentian

Habit Herbs monocarpic, 5–20 dm, glabrous or stems and leaves puberulent. Herbs monocarpic, 3–14 dm, glabrous.
Stems

1.

1.

Leaf

blades not white-margined;

basal spatulate or oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, 7–50 × 1–15 cm, apex rounded to acute;

cauline leaves whorled, blade oblong-lanceolate.

blades not white-margined;

basal spatulate-obovate, 15–60 (including proximal petiolar portions) × 3–17 cm;

proximal cauline leaves whorled, distal often opposite, blades widely elliptic to ovate, apex obtuse to acute (proximal) to acuminate (distal).

Inflorescences

elongate, open proximally, ± dense distally.

dense, sometimes interrupted proximally.

Flowers

calyx 10–25 mm;

corolla pale yellowish green, purple-dotted, occasionally suffused with purple distally, 12–25 mm, lobes elliptic-oblong to obovate, apex [obtuse or] acute to short-acuminate;

androecial corona scales 7–9 mm, deeply multicleft;

style slender, distinct;

nectaries and foveae 2 per corolla lobe, foveae narrowly elliptic, opening directly adaxial to nectary, each opening with a ± even fringe all around, the pair opening into a green but not rimmed area on the corolla surface.

calyx 4.4–13 mm;

corolla light to medium blue or violet-blue with darker veins, often spotted, 6.7–13.4 mm, lobes elliptic-ovate, apex short-acuminate;

androecial corona a sparse fringe of hairs to 5 mm, occasionally absent;

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.

2n

 = 78.

Frasera speciosa

Frasera fastigiata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Open woods, montane to sub­alpine meadows. Mountain meadows, open woods.
Elevation 1500–3500 m. (4900–11500 ft.) 1600–2000 m. (5200–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; TX; UT; WA; WY; Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Swertia radiata var. maderensis Henrickson, endemic to Mexico, is conspecific with Frasera speciosa, but the necessary combination in Frasera has not been published. If that is done, our material will become var. speciosa.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Gentianaceae > Frasera Gentianaceae > Frasera
Sibling taxa
F. ackermaniae, F. albicaulis, F. albomarginata, F. caroliniensis, F. coloradensis, F. fastigiata, F. gypsicola, F. montana, F. neglecta, F. paniculata, F. parryi, F. puberulenta, F. tubulosa, F. umpquaensis
F. ackermaniae, F. albicaulis, F. albomarginata, F. caroliniensis, F. coloradensis, F. gypsicola, F. montana, F. neglecta, F. paniculata, F. parryi, F. puberulenta, F. speciosa, F. tubulosa, F. umpquaensis
Synonyms F. macrophylla, Swertia radiata, Swertia radiata var. macrophylla, Tesseranthium radiatum, T. speciosum Swertia fastigiata
Name authority Douglas ex Grisebach in W. J. Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 66, plate 153. (1837) (Pursh) A. Heller: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 24: 312. (1897)
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