Frasera speciosa

Douglas ex Grisebach in W. J. Hooker

Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 66, plate 153. 1837.

Common names: Giant or showy frasera monument plant deer’s-ears elkweed showy green-gentian
Basionym: Swertia radiata (Kellogg) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 430. 1891
Synonyms: Frasera macrophylla Greene Swertia radiata var. macrophylla (Greene) H. St. John Tesseranthium radiatum Kellogg T. speciosum (Douglas ex Grisebach) Rydberg
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 14.

Herbs monocarpic, 5–20 dm, glabrous or stems and leaves puberulent. Stems 1. Leaf blades not white-margined; basal spatulate or oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, 7–50 × 1–15 cm, apex rounded to acute; cauline leaves whorled, blade oblong-lanceolate. Inflorescences elongate, open proximally, ± dense dis­tally. Flowers: calyx 10–25 mm; corolla pale yellowish green, purple-dotted, occasionally suffused with purple distally, 12–25 mm, lobes elliptic-oblong to obovate, apex [obtuse or] acute to short-acuminate; androecial corona scales 7–9 mm, deeply multicleft; style slender, distinct; nectaries and foveae 2 per corolla lobe, foveae narrowly elliptic, opening directly adaxial to nectary, each opening with a ± even fringe all around, the pair opening into a green but not rimmed area on the corolla surface. 2n = 78.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Open woods, montane to sub­alpine meadows.
Elevation: 1500–3500 m.

Distribution

Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo., Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas).

Discussion

Swertia radiata var. maderensis Henrickson, endemic to Mexico, is conspecific with Frasera speciosa, but the necessary combination in Frasera has not been published. If that is done, our material will become var. speciosa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Frasera speciosa"
James S. Pringle +
Douglas ex Grisebach in W. J. Hooker +
Swertia radiata +
Giant or showy frasera +, monument plant +, deer’s-ears +, elkweed +  and showy green-gentian +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, S.Dak. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Wash. +, Wyo. +, Mexico (Nuevo León +  and Tamaulipas). +
1500–3500 m. +
Open woods, montane to subalpine meadows. +
Flowering summer. +
Fl. Bor.-Amer. +
Frasera macrophylla +, Swertia radiata var. macrophylla +, Tesseranthium radiatum +  and T. speciosum +
Frasera speciosa +
species +