Mertensia paniculata
Mertensia paniculata | |
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Mertensia paniculata (upper Matanuska River Valley, Alaska) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Boraginales |
Family: | Boraginaceae |
Genus: | Mertensia |
Species: | M. paniculata
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Binomial name | |
Mertensia paniculata (Aiton) G. Don, 1837
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Synonyms[1] | |
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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.
Distribution
Mertensia paniculata naturally occurs in the
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-
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Mertensia_paniculata.png/220px-Mertensia_paniculata.png)
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-
Flowers, fruit, and reproduction
The bisexual flower of M. paniculata has five blue petals making up the
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]
References
- ^ "Mertensia paniculata (Aiton) G. Don". Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ a b c Elliott-Fisk, Deborah (1988). Barbour, Michael (ed.). "The boreal forest". North American Terrestrial Vegetation. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press: 33–62.
- ^ Abrams, Leroy (1951). Illustrated Flora of the United States - Washington, Oregon, and California. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 545.
- ^ USDA, NRCS. "The PLANTS Database". National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- JSTOR 2960566.
- ^ Hoefs, Manfred (1979). "Flowering plant phenology at Sheep Mountain, southwest Yukon Territory". Canadian Field-Naturalist. 93 (2): 183–187.
- .
- .
- ^ Hibberd, Shirley (1900). Familiar Garden Flowers, Volume 3. Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co./Oxford University. p. 160.
- ^ 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.
External links
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