Genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae
For the neighborhood, see Mertensia, New York. For the genus of ctenophores, see Mertensia (ctenophore). For the defunct nettle genus, see Celtis.
Mertensia
Mertensia virginica (type species)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Clade:
Tracheophytes
Clade:
Angiosperms
Clade:
Eudicots
Clade:
Asterids
Order:
Boraginales
Family:
Boraginaceae
Subfamily:
Boraginoideae
Genus:
Mertensia Roth 1797
Type species
Mertensia virginica
(L.) Persoon ex Link
Species
See text
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.[citation needed]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.[1] Its center of diversity is in the Rocky Mountains. Mertensia is mostly restricted to alpine, subalpine, and montane habitats.[2] 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.[1] Most of the species are endemic to very small areas of the Rocky Mountains.
Mertensia virginica has the largest flowers in the genus and is commonly cultivated. It is sparingly naturalized in Europe.[citation needed] About 12 other species are known in cultivation.[3] The Inuit ate the rhizomes of Mertensia maritima.[4]
Many of the species of Mertensia are hard to distinguish and some are possibly cryptic.[2] Around 150 species names have been published in Mertensia.[5] Most authors have recognized about 45 species,[4] but in 2014, the authors of a molecular phylogenetic study recommended the acceptance of at least 62.[1]
^ abcMare Nazaire, Xiao-Quan Wang, and Larry Hufford. 2014. "Geographic origins and patterns of radiation of Mertensia (Boraginaceae)". American Journal of Botany101(1):104-118. doi:10.3732/ajb.1300320.
^ abMare Nazaira and Larry Hufford. 2014. "Phylogenetic Systematics of the Genus Mertensia (Boraginaceae)". Systematic Botany39(1):268-303. doi:10.1600/036364414X678107.
^Anthony Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (1992). The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. The Macmillan Press,Limited: London. The Stockton Press: New York. ISBN 978-0-333-47494-5 (set).
^ abDavid J. Mabberley. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. ISBN 978-0-521-82071-4 (see External links below).
^Mertensia in Tropicos (See External links below).
Mertensia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants with blue or sometimes white flowers that open...
Mertensia virginica (common names Virginia bluebells, Virginia cowslip, lungwort oysterleaf, Roanoke bells) is a spring ephemeral plant in the Boraginaceae...
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...
Mertensia maritima is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, and is known by the common names oyster leaf in North America, oyster plant in...
Mertensia ovum, also known as the Arctic comb jelly or sea nut, is a cydippid comb jelly or ctenophore first described as Beroe ovum by Johan Christian...
Mertensia ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names tall fringed bluebells, mountain bluebells, and streamside...
Mertensia oblongifolia is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names oblongleaf bluebells and sagebrush bluebells. It...
Mertensia sibirica, commonly known as Japanese bluebells or Siberian bluebells, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Boraginaceae....
Mertensia lanceolata, known as prairie bluebells, lance-leaved bluebells, lance-leaved lungwort, and narrow-leaved languid ladies is a species of flowering...
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...
" Adderwort, adder's wort - Persicaria bistorta. American lungwort - Mertensia virginica. Asterwort - Any composite plant of the family Asteraceae. Awlwort...
Mertensia longiflora is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names small bluebells and long bluebells. It is native to...
Muscari (perhaps more commonly known as grape hyacinth) genus Mertensia Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica) Scottish bluebell (harebell) (Campanula rotundifolia)...
Pulmonaria officinalis Hieracium murorum, French or golden lungwort Mertensia, for example Mertensia bella Verbascum thapsus, bullock's lungwort, cow's lungwort...
America, "bluebell" typically refers to species in the genus Mertensia, such as Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells). Petal lobes curve outwards Growing...
Acanthus mollis, (also called bear's breeches), native to the Mediterranean Mertensia maritima (also called oysterleaf), native to Europe and North America...
Genus: Celtis L. Species Some 60–70 (see below) Synonyms Colletia Scop. Mertensia Kunth 1817 nom. illeg. hom. Momisia F. Dietr. 1819 Sparrea Hunz. & Dottori...
they will not produce more gametes again until later. A population of Mertensia ovum in the central Baltic Sea have become paedogenetic, and consist solely...
Geber, M. (1985). "The Relationship of Plant Size to Self-Pollination in Mertensia ciliata". Ecology. 66 (3): 762–72. doi:10.2307/1940537. JSTOR 1940537...
Callianira antarctica is a species of ctenophore that physically resembles Mertensia ovum, but lacks the oil sacs. Just like other ctenophores, over 95% of...
white-tailed ptarmigans, and common ravens. Flowering plants include mertensia, sky pilot, alpine sunflowers, alpine dwarf columbine, and alpine forget-me-not...
is a marine species of ctenophore. It was described as "likely to be Mertensia ovum", but it was moved to Euplokamis by Mills in 1987. The species occurs...
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