Mertensia Maritima (L.) S. F. Gray
Scott GA. 1963. Mertensia Maritima (L.) S. F. Gray. Journal of Ecology. 51(3):733-742
A glabrous fleshy perennial herb with a deep, spirally twisted tap root (to over 60 cm) which becomes split into numerous strands. One to many (over 260) procumbent leafy flowering shoots arise at the crown of the root. Leaves narrowly ovate or elliptic, obtuse or apiculate, entire, usually slightly arched, with a pale blue-green bloom and containing numerous chalk-glands on the upper surface. Leaves at the centre of the plant erect, longpetioled, becoming + horizontal, shorter petioled, and sessile towards the inflorescence. Inflorescence an open usually branched bracteate cyme. Pedicels short but elongating in fruit; pendulous. Calyx with five ovate acute lobes. Corolla 4-6 mm long, pink becoming blue or blue and piflk. Style 4-5 mm long, stamens A on a level with the stigma. Fruit of four quadrants, each quadrant a single inflated pointed nutlet, green at first, turning brown then black when ripe, projecting beyond the persistent calyx and falling when ripe.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Scott, G
- Units
- GLBA
- Keywords
- Ecology, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Plant Communities, Plant Studies