Mertensia paniculata

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Mertensia paniculata
Mertensia paniculata 8856.JPG
Mertensia paniculata (upper Matanuska River Valley, Alaska)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Mertensia
Species:
M. paniculata
Binomial name
Mertensia paniculata
(Aiton) G. Don, 1837
Synonyms [1]
  • Casselia paniculata(Aiton) Dumort.
  • Cerinthodes paniculatum(Aiton) Kuntze
  • Lithospermum paniculatum(Aiton) Lehm.
  • Platynema paniculata(Aiton) Schrad.
  • Pulmonaria paniculataAiton

Mertensia paniculata, also known as the tall lungwort, tall bluebells, or northern bluebells, is an herb or dwarf shrub with drooping, bright-blue, bell-shaped flowers. It is native to northwestern North America and the Great Lakes.

Contents

Distribution

Mertensia paniculata naturally occurs in the temperate zone of North America, and is known to thrive within the boreal forests. [2] Specifically, the northern bluebell can be found in Canada, including southern British Columbia. Within the United States, the plant can be seen in Alaska, as well as the Olympic Mountains, stretching east through Oregon to Idaho and western Montana. [3] According to the PLANTS database, M. paniculata are also spotted as far east as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. [4]

Habitat and ecology

Mertensia paniculata thrives in moist wooded or meadow areas. It is a shade-tolerant species and is present in early and late-seral communities. While it is most common in mid-succession, it has been spotted in areas in Alaska and Canada after events such as fire or logging, as an early successional community. The northern bluebell seems to have the ability to grow once more after said events due to sprouting from buried rhizomes or from vegetative parts from the surface. [5] It can also flourish under soil that is mesic, [6] has a low temperature, and has limited nutrient availability. [7] It is a perennial that, according to studies in the Yukon region, is a dominant species with precipitation of 230 mm annually, with an average temperature of −3 °C. [8] The months in which the flowers bloom depend on the area in which it originates, but mainly the flowering dates range from May to September. [9]

Illustration of M. paniculata from PLANTS database Mertensia paniculata.png
Illustration of M. paniculata from PLANTS database

It is found on the lower Yukon in abundance. It grows around homes and dry sunny areas near homes, in meadows and wherever there is less wind and more sunlight.

Morphology

Individuals of this species can be considered an herb-forb or a subshrub. It can sprout one to several erect stems with little to no hair at all from one long root. The stem can range from 0.1 to 0.7 meters in length. Basal leaves vary between 0.05 m and 0.2 m longitudinally and 0.025 m to 0.1 m laterally and come in a variety of shapes, including wide, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-subcordate, eventually tapering to an acute to acuminate point at the apex. The underside of the leaf can be sparsely populated with hairs or completely smooth, and the upper surface can contain short, stiff, and slender bristles or range to completely smooth as well. Leaves are pinnately veined, simple, with petioles ranging from 0.1-0.25 m long, becoming winged traveling up the stem of the plant. Furthermore, the leaves higher on the plant range from 0.05 to 0.18 m longitudinally and from 0.01 to 0.08 m laterally and are broad, ovate to lanceolate, with acuminate ends. Leaves are arranged in an alternate fashion as it ascends the plant. Flowers are branched on one side, forming a spiral-shaped inflorescence, otherwise known as a scorpioid cyme. [2]

Flowers, fruit, and reproduction

The inflorescence is branched and uncrowded and the fruit consists of one to four nutlets (Mount Rainier National Park). Mertensia paniculata 1011.JPG
The inflorescence is branched and uncrowded and the fruit consists of one to four nutlets (Mount Rainier National Park).

The bisexual flower of M. paniculata has five blue petals making up the corolla, which are commonly pink when young. Sometimes, but rarely, the corolla is white on a mature flower. The shape of the five sepals that form the calyx is linear-lanceolate and cilia are present on the margin of the sepal. The underside of the sepal can range to having either have little to no hairs or having short, stiff hairs close together, with a bristle-like texture. The tube of the northern bluebell is 0.0045–.007 m long, with the anthers measuring about 0.0022–.0033 m in length, and the style as long as or surpassing the length of the corolla. [2] The fruit of the tall lungwort are 1 to 4 small, wrinkled, single-seeded nutlets that are 0.0025–.005 m long, which appear in a cluster. [6] The species also appear to be able to reproduce from a member of a clone that stays clustered around the parent plant. [10] It has been observed that the plants spread laterally by adventitious roots after fire and it has been inferred that the species is capable of reproducing by sprouting. [11]

Usage

Food and medicine

While the tall bluebell's organs are not edible whole, it has been used in the past as a pot-herb in the north and in areas of Scotland, due to its place in the borage family. [12] It also has been used for medicinal purposes. The dried leaves of the plant could be made into an herbal tea to stimulate the respiratory system. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boraginaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-notfamily, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution.

<i>Chamaenerion angustifolium</i> Species of flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae

Chamaenerion angustifolium is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae. It is known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb. In the United Kingdom it is also known as bombweed, as a result of its rapid appearance on city bomb sites during the Blitz of World War II; the plant is also traditionally known as Saint Anthony's laurel. It is also known by the synonyms Chamerion angustifolium and Epilobium angustifolium. It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including large parts of the boreal forests.

<i>Pulmonaria</i> Genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae

Pulmonaria (lungwort) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe and western Asia, with one species east to central Asia. According to various estimates there may be between 10 and 18 species found in the wild.

<i>Campanula rotundifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula rotundifolia, the harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In Scotland, it is often known simply as bluebell. It is the floral emblem of Sweden where it is known as small bluebell. It produces its violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and autumn.

<i>Mertensia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae

Mertensia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants with blue or sometimes white flowers that open from pink-tinged buds. Such a change in flower color is common in Boraginaceae and is caused by an increase of pH in the flower tissue. Mertensia is one of several plants that are commonly called "bluebell". In spite of their common name, the flowers are usually salverform (trumpet-shaped) rather than campanulate (bell-shaped).

<i>Pulmonaria longifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Pulmonaria longifolia, is a semi-evergreen clump-forming herbaceous perennial plant, native to western Europe, including Britain, France, Spain, Portugal. It grows in semi-shaded habitats, such as woodland and scrub, to 2000 m above sea level.

<i>Mertensia virginica</i> Species of flowering plant

Mertensia virginica is a spring ephemeral plant in the Boraginaceae (borage) family with bell-shaped sky-blue flowers, native to eastern North America.

Cryptantha affinis is a flowering annual plant occurring in open areas of the coniferous forest. It is a member of the family Boraginaceae. It occurs at elevation ranges between 700 – 2900 m. Cryptantha species occur with other genera such as Clarkia, Hesperolinon, Lasthenia, Lupinus, Mimulus and Phacelia.

<i>Campanula rapunculoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula rapunculoides, known by the common names creeping bellflower, rampion bellflower, rover bellflower, garden bluebell, creeping bluebell, purple bell, garden harebell, and creeping campanula, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Campanula, belonging to the family Campanulaceae. Native to central and southern Europe and west Asia, in some parts of North America it is an extremely invasive species.

<i>Mertensia ciliata</i> Species of flowering plant

Mertensia ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names tall fringed bluebells, mountain bluebells, and streamside bluebells.

<i>Mertensia bella</i> Species of flowering plant

Mertensia bella is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names beautiful bluebells and Oregon lungwort. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in wet mountain habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a slender, erect stem and caudex unit up to half a meter tall. The rough-haired leaves are alternately arranged and borne on petioles. The inflorescence is an open array of clustered bright blue, bell-shaped flowers up to a centimeter wide at the lobed mouths.

<i>Stemodia durantifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Stemodia durantifolia is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family commonly known as the whitewoolly twintip and purple stemodia. Stemodia durantifolia is native to the Americas, including Chile, Mexico, Texas, and the deserts of California and Arizona, and is often found in riparian habitats, preferring wet sand and rocks. It is a perennial herb producing a hairy, glandular, erect stem 10–100 cm (3.9–39.4 in) tall, with the toothed lance-shaped leaves found in pairs or triplets, attached to the stem with clasping bases. The inflorescence is a raceme of violet flowers, with each corolla held in a calyx of hairy, pointed sepals, and can often be found in bloom year-round. Although globally at low risk of extinction, Stemodia durantifolia is imperiled in California due to its rarity and threats from development.

Primula capillaris is a rare species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common name Ruby Mountains primrose, or Ruby Mountain primrose. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where it is limited to the Ruby Mountains of Elko County.

Acanthopale pubescens is a species of the genus Acanthopale of the family Acanthaceae. The species occurs in East and Southern Africa. Acanthopale pubescensis also known as Herayye in Ethiopia.

<i>Evolvulus alsinoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Evolvulus alsinoides, commonly known as dwarf morning-glory and slender dwarf morning-glory, is flowering plant from the family Convolvulaceae. It has a natural pantropical distribution encompassing tropical and warm-temperate regions of Australasia, Indomalaya, Polynesia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas.

<i>Pulmonaria obscura</i> Species of flowering plant

Pulmonaria obscura, common names unspotted lungwort or Suffolk lungwort, is a herbaceous evergreen perennial rhizomatous plant of the genus Pulmonaria, belonging to the family Boraginaceae. In Central Europe it is the most widely occurring member of the Boraginaceae.

<i>Gonocarpus tetragynus</i> Species of flowering plant

Gonocarpus tetragynus is an Australian herb in the watermilfoil family Haloragaceae native to eastern Australia. Common names include common raspwort. A widespread species particularly found in dry eucalyptus forests, scrubland, and heathland.

<i>Mertensia lanceolata</i> Species of flowering plant

Mertensia lanceolata, known as prairie bluebells, narrow-leaved languid lady, lance-leaved bluebells, and lance-leaved lungwort is a species of flowering plant native to western North America. A herbaceous perennial it has blue-green leaves alternately arranged on its smooth flowering stalk. Its flower buds are pink-purple and become more blue as they open. Accepted varieties include:

<i>Diospyros paniculata</i>

Diospyros paniculata, or the panicle-flowered ebony, is a species of tree in the ebony family. Endemic to the Western Ghats area of India and parts of Bangladesh, the species is currently listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.

<i>Mertensia sibirica</i> Species of flowering plant

Mertensia sibirica, commonly known as Japanese bluebells or Siberian bluebells, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus Mertensia. Originally discovered by Carolus Linnaeus, who named it Pulmonaria sibirica, this plant is found, as it s name implies, in Eastern Siberia and northern China. After review of the plant s morphology, its taxonomic position was changed to Mertensia sibirica by botanist and plant collector George Don, who put forth the notion of the change, which was eventually accepted, most likely due to the striking resemblance to the related species in the Americas like Mertensia virginica, or Virginia bluebells.

References

  1. ↑ "Mertensia paniculata (Aiton) G. Don". Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Elliott-Fisk, Deborah (1988). Barbour, Michael (ed.). "The boreal forest". North American Terrestrial Vegetation. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press: 33–62.
  3. ↑ Abrams, Leroy (1951). Illustrated Flora of the United States - Washington, Oregon, and California. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 545.
  4. ↑ USDA, NRCS. "The PLANTS Database". National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Wang, Geoff; Kevin Kemball (2004). "The effect of fire severity on early development of understory vegetation following a stand replacing wildfire". Session 3B - Fire Effect on Flora: Part 2. 2nd international wildland fire ecology and fire management congress: Proceedings; 2003 November 19; Orlando, FL: 11.
  6. 1 2 Douglas, George (1998). Illustrated Flora of British Columbia. Volume 2: Dicotyledons (Balsaminaceae Through Cucurbitaceae). Victoria: B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands & Parks and B.C. Ministry of Forests. p. 401.
  7. ↑ Arii, Ken (1996). Factors Restricting Plant Growth In A Boreal Forest Understory: A Field Test of the Relative Importance of Abiotic and Biotic Factors (PDF) (M.Sc. thesis). University of British Columbia. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  8. ↑ John, Elizabeth; Roy Turkington (August 1997). "A 5-Year Study of the Effects of Nutrient Availability and Herbivory on Two Boreal Forest Herbs". Journal of Ecology. 85 (4): 419–430. doi:10.2307/2960566. JSTOR   2960566.
  9. ↑ Hoefs, Manfred (1979). "Flowering plant phenology at Sheep Mountain, southwest Yukon Territory". Canadian Field-Naturalist. 93 (2): 183–187.
  10. ↑ Hicks, Samantha; Roy Turkington (2000). "Compensatory growth of three herbaceous perennial species: the effects of clipping and nutrient availability". Canadian Journal of Botany. 78 (6): 759–767. doi:10.1139/cjb-78-6-759.
  11. ↑ Mann, Daniel; Lawrence Plug (1999). "Vegetation and soil development at an upland taiga site, Alaska". Écoscience. 6 (2): 272–285. doi:10.1080/11956860.1999.11682528.
  12. ↑ Hibberd, Shirley (1900). Familiar Garden Flowers, Volume 3. Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co./Oxford University. p. 160.
  13. ↑ Runesson, Ulf. "Mertensia paniculata - Northern Bluebell". Faculty of Natural Resources Management - Lakehead University. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
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