Prairie bluebells

Description

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: Mertensia lanceolata var. coriacea (A.Nelson) L.C.Higgins & S.L.Welsh Mertensia lanceolata var. lanceolata Mertensia lanceolata var. secundorum (Cockerell) Cockerell Mertensia lanceolata is a variable species with flowering individuals typically growing 20-35 cm in height. The species is found in Rocky Mountain habitats from the plains to alpine habitats. The leaves are blue-green due to the waxy coating with a prominent center vein. Immature plants will have a few distinctly lanceolate leaves arising from the ground on short stalks while plants mature enough to flower will typically have narrower leaves attached alternately attached to the flower stalk. The leaves or flower stalks arise from the large taproot. Flowering stalks lean outwards at an angle with multiple flowers hanging downwards from the top of the stalk. The flowers are five fused petals forming a short trumpet. 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). Mertensia is native to most of North America and to a large part of Asia from western China to northeastern Russia. Its center of diversity is in the Rocky Mountains. Mertensia is mostly restricted to alpine, subalpine, and montane habitats. Notable exceptions are Mertensia maritima, a maritime plant of Arctic and subarctic coastlines, and Mertensia virginica, which is found from the Appalachian Mountains west to Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. Most of the species are endemic to very small areas of the Rocky Mountains.