Mertensia ciliata var. stomatechoides
Streamside bluebell
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Streamside bluebell is a California native perennial found in southern California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in streamsides, wet meadows, and damp thickets at elevations of 1,310 to 3,380 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces blue to white flowers with delicate tubular corollas 10 to 17 millimeters long. Growing with clustered stems 40 to 150 centimeters tall from a thick branched taproot, it develops a leafy structure with prominent lateral veins. Its leaves range from lanceolate to ovate, with basal leaves typically larger than stem leaves, creating a distinctive green backdrop for its subtle blooms. The plant forms open panicle-like inflorescences with flowers featuring wide filaments that extend beyond the anthers.
Habitat: Streamsides, wet meadows, damp thickets, wet cliffs
Bloom period: Jun-Aug
Elevation: 1310-3380 m
Bioregions: s CaRH, SNH, MP, W&I
California counties: Fresno, Sierra, Alpine, Tulare, Plumas, Butte, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Calaveras, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Amador, Lassen, El Dorado
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.