Woolly Bluestar

Amsonia brevifolia A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 12: 64. 1876
Stems 1.5-4 dm. tall, wholly glabrous; leaves alternate, subsucculent, broadly ovate, or the upper oblong-lanceolate, 2-3 cm. long, 0.5-1.5 cm. broad, acute to acuminate, obtuse to obtusish at the base, wholly glabrous, the petioles 2 mm. long to nearly obsolete; inflorescence somewhat condensed, barely surpassing the foliage, bearing several, rather small, pale-lead-blue, flowers; pedicels 1 mm. long to nearly obsolete; calyx-lobes linear-lanceolate, 2-4 mm. long, glabrous; corolla glabrous externally, the tube 7-10 mm. long, about 1 mm. in diameter at the base somewhat inflated at the insertion of the stamens, sharply constricted at the orifice, the lobes 4-6 mm. long, spreading; follicles relatively stout, conspicuously articulatemoniliform, 5-7 cm. long, glabrous. Type i^ocality: [Mokiah Pass,] Arizona.
Distribution: Southern Utah, and southward and westward to eastern Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California.
Ii,i.usTR ATiONS : Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 15: pi. 53, f. 26-28.

Amsonia tomentosa Torr. & Fr6m. ; Torr. in Frem
Rep. Calif. 316. 1845.
Amsonia brevifolia var. tomentosa Jepson, Man. Fl. PI. Calif. 768. 1925. Amsonia lanata Alexander, Torreya 34: 117. 1934.
Stems 2-4 dm. tall, densely tomentose; leaves membranaceous, ovate, or the upper ovatelanceolate, 2-5 cm. long, 1-2 cm. broad, acute to acuminate, obtuse at the base, densely tomentose, sessile or subsessile; inflorescence rather condensed, barely surpassing the foliage, bearing several to numerous, rather small, pale-lead-blue flowers; pedicels 0.5-3 mm. long, tomentulose; calyx-lobes linear, 3-9 mm. long, tomentulose; corolla glabrous externally, the tube 5-12 mm. long, about 1.5 mm. in diameter at the base, somewhat inflated at the insertion of the stamens, sharply constricted at the orifice, the lobes 4-10 mm. long, spreading; follicles stout, conspicuously articulate-moniliform, 6-8 cm. long, tomentulose.
Type i^ocality: [Western United States.] Distribution: Southern Nevada and southern California.

Amsonia tomentosa is a species of flowering plant native to the southwestern United States (S California, S Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, W Texas) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua). Its common names include woolly bluestar and gray amsonia.

Amsonia tomentosa is a short, woody plant with many erect stems rarely reaching half a meter in height. The plant has two forms, a green glabrous (hairless) form, and a gray woolly form. The leaves are oval but pointed, and about 3 centimeters long. The flowers are white with a green or blue tint. They are tubular at the base and have flat faces with five petals. The flowers often come clumped in a cyme inflorescence. The fruits are podlike follicles that may separate into sections, each bearing a seed.

Varieties Amsonia tomentosa var. stenophylla Kearney & Peebles – Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Chihuahua Amsonia tomentosa var. tomentosa – S California, S Nevada, NW Arizona