Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Frasera speciosa

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Gentianaceae

Scientific name
  
Frasera speciosa

Order
  
Gentianales

Genus
  
Frasera

Rank
  
Species

Frasera speciosa SEINet Arizona Chapter Frasera speciosa

Similar
  
Frasera, Frasera caroliniensis, Frasera albomarginata, Frasera albicaulis, Gentiana puberulenta

Frasera speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the Gentian Family (Gentianaceae) known by the common names elkweed, deer's ears, and monument plant.

Contents

Frasera speciosa Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness Frasera speciosa

Range and habitat

It is native to the western United States, where it grows in mountain forests, woodlands, and meadows.

Growth pattern

Frasera speciosa wwwpfaforgAdminPlantImagesFraseraSpeciosa2gif

It is a perennial herb growing from a woody base surrounded by rosettes of large leaves that measure up to 50 centimeters long by 15 wide.

Stems and leaves

It produces a single erect stem which can reach two meters in height.

Inflorescense and fruit

Frasera speciosa Southwest Colorado Wildflowers Frasera speciosa

The stem bears whorls of lance-shaped, pointed leaves smaller than those at the base. The plant is monocarpic, growing for several years and only flowering once before it dies. Flowering is synchronized among plants in a given area, with widespread, picturesque blooms occurring periodically. It is not known why some plants in an area will not flower in a mass flowering event, or what cues the plants rely on to initiate flowering. The inflorescence is a tall, erect panicle with flowers densely clustered at the top and then spread out in interrupted clusters below. Each flower has a calyx of four pointed sepals and a corolla of four pointed lobes each one to two centimeters long. The corolla is yellow-green with purple spots and each lobe has two fringed nectary pits at the base. There are four stamens tipped with large anthers and a central ovary.

It blooms from July to August.

Frasera speciosa Southwest Colorado Wildflowers Frasera speciosa

Frasera speciosa Frasera speciosa monument plant Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest

Frasera speciosa Monument Plant Frasera Speciosa Beautiful Flower Pictures Blog

References

Frasera speciosa Wikipedia