Nemophila

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Nemophila
Nemophila-menziesii-20080330.JPG
baby blue eyes
Nemophila menziesii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Subfamily: Hydrophylloideae
Genus: Nemophila
Nutt.
Synonyms [1]
  • AnonymosGronov. ex Kuntze
  • ErythrorhizaMichx.
  • GalaxL.
  • ViticellaMitch.
Nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park Hitachi Seaside Park 2018.jpg
Nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park

Nemophila is a genus found in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae.

Contents

Most of the species in Nemophila contain the phrase "baby blue eyes" in their common names. N. menziesii has the common name of "baby blue eyes". N. parviflora is called the "smallflower baby blue-eyes" and N. spatulata is called the "Sierra baby blue eyes". An exception to this naming tendency is N. maculata, whose common name is fivespot.

Nemophila species are mainly native to the western United States, though some species are also found in Mexico, and in the southeastern United States. They are commonly offered for sale for garden cultivation. Generally these are Nemophila menziesii.

Description

All species of Nemophila are annuals, and most bloom in the spring. Their flowers have five petals and are bell or cup-shaped, and purple, blue, or white in color, often spotted or marked. The stamens are included and there is only one ovary chamber.

The leaves are simple, with an opposite or alternate arrangement. The petiole is generally bristly. The leaf blade is pinnately toothed or lobed.

The fruit is 2–7 mm wide and generally enclosed by the calyx. The fruit itself is spherical to ovoid in shape. It is also hairy.

The seeds are ovoid, smooth, wrinkled or pitted. At one end there is a colorless, conic appendage.

Occurrence

Generally the genus is native to United States of America, (they are found within the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming), Canada (they are found within the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia) and Mexico. [1]

Some of the species of Nemophila are of restricted range. For example, Nemophila menziesii has been observed only in western North America, but chiefly in California. [2] Nemophila heterophylla occurs in a more restricted range within northern and central California (with some proximate state populations); N. heterophylla has the greatest number of sightings in Marin County at locations such as Ring Mountain. [3]

Etymology

Nemophila means "woodland-loving", from the Greek words νέμος (némos) meaning wooded pasture, glade and philos, which means "loving". [4]

Species

There are 13 accepted species in Nemophila, according to Plants of the World Online, Kew. [1]

N. menziesii, N. parviflora, and N. pulchella have varieties under each species.

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 154 genera with a worldwide distribution.

<i>Scaevola</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the Goodenia family

Scaevola is a genus of flowering plants in the Goodenia family, Goodeniaceae. It consists of more than 130 species, with the center of diversity being Australia and Polynesia. There are around 80 species in Australia, occurring throughout the continent, in a variety of habitats. Diversity is highest in the South West, where around 40 species are endemic.

<i>Nemophila menziesii</i> Species of flowering plant

Nemophila menziesii, known commonly as baby blue eyes or baby's-blue-eyes, is an annual herb, native to western North America.

<i>Collinsia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Collinsia is a genus of about 20 species of annual flowering plants, consisting of the blue eyed Marys and the Chinese houses. It was traditionally placed in the snapdragon family Scrophulariaceae, but following recent research in molecular genetics, it has now been placed in a much enlarged family Plantaginaceae.

<i>Monardella</i> Genus of flowering plants in the sage family Lamiaceae

Monardella is a genus of approximately 40 species of annual and perennial plants native to western North America from British Columbia to northwestern Mexico. They are grown for their highly aromatic foliage, which in some species is used for herbal teas. The two-lipped, tubular flowers are formed in terminal clusters and are most usually red, pink, or purple.

<i>Nemophila maculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Nemophila maculata, commonly known as fivespot, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family (Boraginaceae).

<i>Nemophila spatulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Nemophila spatulata, with the common names Sierra baby blue-eyes and Sierra nemophila, is a dicot in the family Boraginaceae.

<i>Physostegia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Physostegia, the lionshearts or false dragonheads, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to North America. They are erect rhizomatous herbaceous perennials inhabiting damp, sunny places. They grow up to 2 m (7 ft) tall with purple or pink tubular flowers in racemes in summer.

<i>Nemophila parviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Nemophila parviflora, the smallflower nemophila, small-flowered nemophila or oak-leaved nemophila, is a dicot in the borage family, Boraginaceae, in the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae.

<i>Calochortus coeruleus</i> Species of flowering plant

Calochortus coeruleus, often misspelled as Calochortus caeruleus, is a bulbous plant of the lily family. It is known by the common name beavertail grass or blue star tulip.

<i>Lotononis</i> Genus of legumes

Lotononis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae and the tribe Crotalarieae. The genus includes 99 species of annual and perennial herbs, native to the southeastern Europe and Turkey, eastern Africa, and southern Africa.

<i>Randia</i> (plant) Genus of plants

Randia, commonly known as indigoberry, is a mostly Neotropical genus of shrubs or small trees in the Rubiaceae. As of February 2022 Plants of the World Online lists a total of 112 accepted species in the genus. Several Australian species have been reassigned to the genus Atractocarpus. These include the garden plants Atractocarpus chartaceus and A. fitzalanii.

<i>Hooveria parviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Hooveria parviflora is a species of perennial herb in the subfamily Agavoideae known by the common name smallflower soap plant. It is a monocot, native to coastal southern California and Baja California, where it is a member of the coastal sage scrub flora. It resembles a smaller version of Chlorogalum pomeridianum, with wavy leaves and white flowers that open during the day.

<i>Nymphaea nouchali</i> Species of aquatic plant

Nymphaea nouchali, often known by its synonym Nymphaea stellata, or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is native to southern and eastern parts of Asia, and is the national flower of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit it is called utpala. This species is usually considered to include the blue Egyptian lotus N. nouchali var. caerulea. In the past, taxonomic confusion has occurred, with the name Nymphaea nouchali incorrectly applied to Nymphaea pubescens.

<i>Nemophila heterophylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Nemophila heterophylla is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name small baby blue eyes.

Nemophila pulchella, known by the common name Eastwood's baby blue-eyes, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family. It is endemic to California, where it is found from the San Francisco Bay Area to the southern Sierra Nevada to the Transverse Ranges. It grows in many types of mountain, foothill, and valley habitats.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nemophila Nutt. ex W.P.C.Barton | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  2. Calflora, Nemophila menziesii
  3. C. Michael Hogan (2008) Ring Mountain, The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham
  4. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN   978-1845337315.