Frasera coloradensis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Gentianaceae |
Genus: | Frasera |
Species: | F. coloradensis |
Binomial name | |
Frasera coloradensis (C.M.Rogers) D.M.Post, | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Frasera coloradensis is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name Colorado green gentian. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it is limited to the southeastern corner of the state. [1]
Frasera coloradensis is a small plant, usually growing to between 10 and 25 centimeters tall when flowering. [3] [4] Before flowering plants grow for many years as a low clump of basal leaves, ones that sprout directly from the base of the plant at ground level. [5] The leaves are thick, with linear-oblanceolate shape, like a reversed spearhead with the thicker portion past the midpoint, but very narrow like a blade of grass. The edges of the leaves are white and their length is about 8–10 centimeters while just 1 cm wide, but may occasionally be as short as 4 cm. [6] They may be smooth or have very small hairs. [3] The plant grows from a thick and woody taproot. [6]
When a plant is ready to bloom it grows many branched stems with leaves attached to opposite sides. These cauline leaves are shorter, 4–8 centimeters long and just 6–9 millimeters wide. [6] Other species in the Frasera genus tend to have stems that stand up straight while those of Frasera coloradensis lean away from each other. [4] The inflorescences are branched panicles with many greenish-white flowers with purple dots, each with four petals 8-10 mm long. [3] [5]
It is generally monocarpic, living for a few years, producing flowers just once, then dying. [5] In their native habitat they bloom from mid-June to mid-July. The seeds develop in July. [3]
Frasera coloradensis was scientifically described by Claude Marvin Rogers in 1949 with the name Swertia coloradensis. [2] He found the plants in 1947 while doing work on his doctoral thesis. [5] The type specimen was found on a rocky slope in Las Animas County, Colorado near the border of Baca County. [6] It was given its present name by Douglas Manners Post in 1958. [2]
In English Frasera coloradensis is commonly called Colorado green gentian or the shortened Colorado gentian. [5] [7] It is also occasionally called Colorado frasera. [8]
This plant occurs in Baca, Bent, Las Animas, and Prowers Counties in southeastern Colorado. Its well established range is a strip 97 kilometers (60 mi) long and 40 kilometers (25 mi) wide. It is mostly limited to the Greenhorn Limestone, a geological formation appearing as limestone outcrops. It may also occur on Graneros shale and Dakota sandstone. The habitat is shortgrass prairie. It may occur with Juniperus monosperma and Haplopappus engelmannii . [7] It grows at elevations of 1200 to 1700 meters. [4]
Threats to this species include overgrazing, herbicides, and habitat loss and degradation. [1] [7]
Gentiana calycosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial gentian known by the common names explorer's gentian, Rainier pleated gentian, and mountain bog gentian.
Petrophytum caespitosum is a woody perennial species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name mat rock spiraea and native to western United States.
Frasera albomarginata is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name desert green gentian, or desert frasera.
Frasera fastigiata is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name clustered green gentian. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in meadows and other mountain habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a single stem which grows erect and often exceeds a meter in height. The basal leaves have oval or spoon-shaped blades up to 30 centimeters long by 10 wide. Leaves higher on the stem may be smaller and narrower. Some of the leaves have white margins. The inflorescence is a dense panicle atop the stem, sometimes interrupted into a series of clusters of flowers. Each flower has a corolla of four pointed lobes each roughly a centimeter long. They are greenish, often tinged with yellow or blue. There are four stamens tipped with large anthers and a central ovary.
Frasera neglecta is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name pine green gentian.
Frasera parryi is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name Coahuila frasera.
Swertia perennis is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names felwort and star swertia. It is native to several regions of the northern hemisphere, including much of Eurasia and western North America. It is a plant of wetlands, particularly calcareous fens. It is common to abundant in many areas, but it is known to be negatively impacted by habitat fragmentation and other habitat destruction, and human activity has led to its extirpation from some areas where it was once common. It is a perennial herb producing usually one erect stem growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall. The basal leaves are spoon-shaped with rounded tips, and leaves higher on the plant are widely lance-shaped or somewhat oval, with pointed tips. The inflorescence is an open panicle of flowers atop the stem. Each flower has a calyx of four or five pointed sepals and a corolla of four or five pointed lobes each up to 1.3 centimeters long. The corolla is dull blue to violet in color with darker purplish veining or stippling. There are two rounded nectary pits at the base of each lobe of the corolla. Stamens tipped with large anthers surround a central ovary.
Frasera puberulenta is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name Inyo frasera.
Frasera speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family (Gentianaceae) known by the common names elkweed, monument plant, and green gentian. When blooming it grows a tall stalk with numerous flowers that have purple dotted green petals. Each plant can flower just once before it dies.
Frasera tubulosa is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name Kern frasera.
Lewisia maguirei is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name Maguire's lewisia, or Maguire's bitterroot. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where it is known only from eastern Nye County.
Eurybia horrida is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names spiny aster and horrid herrickia. It is native to Colorado and New Mexico in the United States, where it occurs only in the Canadian River basin. It most often included in genus Eurybia.
Gentiana glauca is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names pale gentian and glaucous gentian. It is native to eastern Asia and northwestern North America from Alaska to the Northwest Territories to Washington and Montana.
Frasera caroliniensis, commonly known as American columbo or yellow gentian, is a herbaceous perennial of the gentian family Gentianaceae found in the deciduous forest of Southern Ontario and throughout the eastern and southeastern United States. It was previously known as Swertia caroliniensis.
Frasera gypsicola is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names Sunnyside green-gentian, Sunnyside elkweed, and Sunnyside frasera. It is native to southeastern Nevada and southwestern Utah in the United States.
Mirabilis rotundifolia is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name roundleaf four o'clock. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it is limited to the south-central part of the state. It occurs in the Arkansas River Valley in Fremont, Pueblo, and Las Animas Counties.
Aquilegia brevistyla is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name smallflower columbine. It is native to northern North America, where it has a disjunct distribution. Most of its range extends from Alaska through much of Canada, and it also occurs in a few areas in the contiguous United States, such as the Black Hills of South Dakota and central Montana. It is most common in eastern Alaska, Yukon, the southern Northwest Territories, and northern parts of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Draba graminea is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names Rocky Mountain draba and San Juan Whitlow-grass. It is endemic to the state of Colorado in the United States, where it is limited to the San Juan Mountains.
Oenothera harringtonii is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names Arkansas Valley evening primrose and Colorado Springs evening primrose. It is endemic to the state of Colorado in the United States.
Delphinium exaltatum, known by the common name tall larkspur, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Delphinium, part of the buttercup family. Other Delphinium species are also commonly known as tall larkspur, such as Delphinium barbeyi. D. exaltatum is native to the central and eastern United States, where it can be found in Kentucky, Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Missouri.